The Retirement Message

"This may come as a big shock to you but I have decided to retire, and frankly, I'm really excited about it."

"Let me explain. Last year was a disastrous year with many of our global clients, and it impacted us in virtually all product areas. The way we used to be able to produce results for existing customers, and sell to new prospects, has changed forever. What worked even 5 years ago isn't working as well now."

This was the first line of the “Update” email the 45-year-old CEO sent out to his management team. Some were so shocked by the news that they called him immediately and left voicemails, before reading the rest of his email. It went on to say…

"And so, we're faced with the challenge, "What do we do now?" Well, it's not rocket science folks, it was time I retired - and so I am choosing to retire some old business habits and structures that no longer appear useful. I've also retired a few previously held business assumptions, and some assumptions about the value propositions our customers want from us. The rapidly changing world will challenge us all to retire each year, and requires us to be agile as we initiate new ways of doing things, retiring the old habits of previous economies.

I may be retiring some past assumptions, but I am excited about our continued learning, and am creatively planning more future change with you as we continue to grow the company."

He went on to articulate major changes he had recently made, as well as future changes he was planning (personal leadership areas as well, i.e. regaining his fitness routine, travel schedule, etc.) He ended the email to his team by asking them to come to their next meeting prepared with a list of practices or assumptions/beliefs each needs to "retire". His intention was to have a discussion on how we can create greater stakeholder value through "retirement", and he wanted this attitude to permeate the entire organization.

The achievement of growth in rapidly changing times requires that we on occasion hit the pause button (and turn off the smart phone distractions) to reflect on where we have been, where we are going, and what we need to do – but also what we need to "retire" or stop doing. This is commonly known as "Creative Abandonment".

Dr. Rick Warren (a pastor and best-selling author of A Purpose Driven Life) regularly met and conferred with management thought leader Peter Drucker for over a decade prior to his passing. In a Forbes article, Drucker spoke to the issue of ‘creative abandonment’ as it was addressed in one of their meetings:

“A critical question for leaders is, "When do you stop pouring resources into things that have achieved their purpose?" The most dangerous traps for a leader are those near-successes where everybody says that if you just give it another big push it will go over the top. One tries it once. One tries it twice. One tries it a third time. But, by then it should be obvious this will be very hard to do. So, I always advise my friend Rick Warren, "Don't tell me what you're doing, Rick. Tell me what you stopped doing."

No matter what you do or what your role is, answering this question honestly will help to enhance your personal and professional effectiveness: What habits of action or thought should you "retire"? If you are managing/coaching others, you may be supporting their effectiveness in posing this question to them. Even in personal relationships, it can be an interesting question to discuss with your spouse (over Valentines dinner? Guys, you’d better be sure you listen and work on it). In this rapidly changing world, if you reflect and plan to "retire" some habits every year, you will ride the wave of change with continued opportunities.

Why Do Some Managers Fail?

Several years ago, the cover of Fortune Magazine featured a headline that read "Why CEOs Fail", linking to an article by Senior Editor Geoff Colvin and Dr. Ram Charan. One of the points the authors documented in their research was that CEOs (or any managers, really) fail more often due to poor execution than planning.

As I watched all the buzz surrounding the change of management at Blackberry maker Research in Motion (RIM), I recalled the Fortune article. On one BNN clip I saw, the analyst/journalist who was speaking said that he didn't believe the newly minted CEO, Thorsten Heins, was capable of bringing about and implementing the necessary changes at RIM. This analyst asked, "Have you met this guy? He doesn't come across with an energy that would inspire any confidence in investors or end-users."

His point was that the new CEO's style came across as flat and uninspiring, which made one suspect that his strategy (which isn't new) would be as well.

The mention of Heins' style was interesting. As certified professional behavioral analysts, we are frequently called in to consultations with leaders and teams to better understand and harness the diversity of behavioral styles found in the workplace. It is important to recognize that, whether in media interviews or political debates, a leader's style comes across to his or her audience and creates an emotional response. Judgements, much like the one expressed by the analyst mentioned above, will be made based on the presentation of material, not just the content. You've likely seen the research before, indicating that in communication, we receive much more information through how something is said vs. what is said.

Likewise, when mangers work at achieving strategic plans by interacting with their direct reports, the use of a coaching style that is congruent with the style of the person being coached will result in much higher levels of engagement. For example, if you notice an employee's style (even without the use of a psychometric instrument) is extroverted, fast-paced, and energetic - don't speak in a monotone, or speak too slowly. Avoid long silences (something that can be challenging if your natural style is that of a methodical engineer who thinks things through thoroughly before responding).

Obviously, if your employee is the opposite - detailed, analytical, more introverted and speaking at a slower pace - don't rush them. Give him or her time to think and answer while you're conversing, don't interrupt, and allow for some silent pauses - while still maintaining eye-contact (challenging if you are a highly-energetic, fast-paced, caffeine-driven manager).

When they give no thought to the behavioral style of their communications, managers may end up unintentionally contributing to the disengagement of their own team members – a trend which, when continued, can lead to serious performance and talent retention issues.

As I like to say, organizations don't get results – people do. So take care in the implementation process. When coaching staff, be aware of and harness their emotional responses by employing your own behavioral flexibility. Managers who practice this skill when coaching will be judged much more favourably than RIM CEO Heins was by the critical analyst, and will certainly inspire superior engagement to be harnessed as they implement their ongoing strategic plans.

Leadership - Turning Dreams into Goals: 2 Starting Points

Almost 50 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King uttered the words, "I have a dream," in his speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.

We are already a few weeks past "Happy New Years" now. Typically this time of year represents a "reset " time or a new start on goals. If you go to a gym, you will notice that the next 3 months are the busiest of the year, before people fall back into their old habits. Change is tough, and takes time and commitment. As you look out at the rest of the year, while globally there is much uncertainty and the media will predictably dwell on the fears and negatives, we must  take a step back and think about what is important to us, what we want to achieve, and then document these goals.

Most of us are in leadership in some way - whether at work with an official title, or as a volunteer, or at home with our kids. As a leader, you will be most effective when you pause, reflect, and focus on some clear goals - then help others around you (direct reports, colleagues, friends and family) to do the same. There is much that has been written about goal setting; below are some suggested links, as well as two critical starting points: Desire, and Written Goals.

1) Desire

First and foremost, all great goals start with a very strong desire. The reality is that most people don't really drill down on this. It is crucial to clarify what you really want to achieve. From my experience (and likely yours), people are driven more by fear than by desire.

I recall meeting Anthony “Tony” Robbins and his then wife, Becky, in 1989 before he became an infomercial celebrity. We were both taking the rare opportunity to hear Dr. Norman Vincent Peale speak live in a limited audience. As I chatted with him after the event, Tony invited me to attend one of his live seminars. I, along with my brother and two friends, will never forget the firewalk experience - walking over burning coals in bare feet. I vividly remember standing in line to do this, and thinking "this is nuts!" My only comfort as I waited was that, as I got closer to the front of the line to participate in this goofy thing, the coals seemed to be gradually fading from burning red to grey. My anxiety decreased somewhat as I watched, and I reassured myself that the coals were cooling.

Well, just as I got to the front of the line, the folks in charge abruptly called a halt to the procedings. As I stood there, assuming that the time had run out, I found myself suddenly feeling quite brave, and thinking, "I could have done it if there had been time – no problem!"

You can imagine the jolt to my nervous system when I saw what happened next. It turns out, time wasn’t up yet. I glanced around just in time to see the approach of a couple of wheelbarrows filled with fresh, red hot, burning coals. Seems I wasn't the only one what had noticed that the coals were cooling! "Ok Chuck- your turn to walk...”

That event has forever anchored my perspective on focus, desire, and distractions caused by fear. In fact, most people are preoccupied with fear of what could happen, because they haven't really focussed as deeply on the mechanics of what they desire to achieve. Brian Tracy likes to say, “Do the thing you fear, and the death of fear is certain.” So when you reflect on what you want to achieve, also think about the pain of not achieving it. Leverage your focus on what you desire with the pain of doing nothing different. Like Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, look into the future to see both the benefit of achieving a goal, as well as what life would look like if you don’t achieve it.

Right now, make a plan to spend some time in solitude to think about what you desire for your life this year. As author Stan Davis likes to ask, what would your life look like if it were perfect?

If you are coaching others, at work or at home, help them to focus on what they want. Remember, people do things for their reasons, not ours. Martin Luther King Junior didn't motivate others by saying "I have a nightmare," that’s not engagement. Use questions like: If you could wave a magic wand, what would you change in your job/life? Or, what are 3 changes you’d like to implement this year? Then, in workplace coaching, help them align these goals with organizational objectives.

For example, if a sales rep says, "I’d like to take my whole family to Europe in the Fall", you could encourage him to sit down with his spouse on the weekend and research destinations in Europe and the costs of the trip, before calculating how much more in commissions he’d like to earn. From there, you can coach him through to breaking this down into weekly goals. All intentional achievement starts with focussing on what we desire.

By the way, U2’s Desire Hollwywood Remix is on my iPod workout play list... As the proverb says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish."

2) Written Goals

Once you’ve focussed on what you want, it’s time to break it into goals and write them down. Clearly written goals create clarity and focus. In order to eliminate distractions from over exposure to information, effective people write their goals down. If you are coaching others, give them time to reflect and do the same. Frankly, done properly, this removes the pressure from you to “evaluate” their progress. As they articulate the goals, you can check in and really coach them by helping them to “self-evaluate” their progress. Then, talk about what they need to do next, or do differently when they are off track. Below are some links about goals to help you get started.

Peter Drucker once said, "the best way to handle change is to initiate it." I'm sure you will agree in this continuously changing world it is far better to be proactive and live life on purpose than being fully reactive and living life by accident.

Moving forward, if we clarify our personal and professional goals now and write them down, and continue to reread/rewrite them, then 12 months from now we will have directed change in the direction of our goals.  As a manager or colleague, if you help others do the same, you will be igniting superior engagement and achievement in your department/organization.

Wishing you great success the rest of the year! May it be a special one for you and yours.


Links for Goal Focus:

Brian Tracy, on Making 2012 your Best Year So Far (video)

Tony Robbins, on Persisting through Goals (video)

John Maxwell, on Goals (video)

110 Day Challenge Site from the Goal Guy, Gary Blair

Books...

Goal Setting 101 - How to Set and Achieve a Goal, by Gary Blair

A great book to create goal-focussed clarity for achievement -The Power of Focus, by Jack Canfield.

Maximum Achievement, by Brian Tracy, one of the masters in communicating the How To's of Achievement.

The Challenge of Change – Stop Managing, Start Coaching: 3 To-Do’s

At times, the velocity of change seems mind-boggling. From the global economy and technology, to corporate restructuring, it seems most of us are standing on shifting sand vs. foundational rock. What is the impact on your employees? What does this mean for managers and organizations?

Various North American surveys in recent months have indicated that roughly 50% of employees are unhappy in their jobs, and a third actively want to quit. In Ireland, a report showed that 66% of employees are looking to change jobs.

So it would appear that, amidst the global change and current economic challenges, many organizations have employees on the payroll who have mentally already quit or, to use a term of the day, remain ‘unengaged’. This should be a wake-up call for organizations who depend on human capital to remain not just competitive, but also innovative. Organizations need to stop managing and begin coaching. The difference? As my friend Brian Tracy likes to say: managing is transactional, coaching/leadership is transformational.

A study by Gallup, in which over a million employees and 80,000 managers were surveyed, makes a strong connection between engagement and retention.

“People leave managers, not companies. So much money has been thrown at the challenge of keeping good people – in the form of better pay, better perks and training – when, in the end, turnover is mostly a manager issue.” Wrote Marcus Buckingham in the book, First Break ALL the Rules.

In a world where, too often, a person is promoted to a supervisory or management position based on their technical skills, their people-leadership skills need to be enhanced. In fact, it could be argued that an organization should start developing people with these skills prior to promoting them to entry-level management positions.

If you look at a recent Forbes article, “Top Ten Reasons Why Large Companies Fail to Keep Their Best Talent,” one can see that the role of people-leaders as coaches would have a significant impact on virtually all ten areas.

In the long term, organizations who want to continue to thrive need to build in metrics and accountability for how managers lead and coach their human capital. An integrated and properly implemented 360 Development process examining a manager’s people-leadership behaviours would help maintain an awareness for continually enhancing their coaching skills.

3 Things You Can Do to Coach More and Manage Less

1)      Probe more and Tell less. Ask questions to drill down on issues. Ask how they perceive an issue, and for their suggestions for solutions.

2)      Adapt your Coaching. A cookie-cutter approach doesn’t work for everyone. Recognize that team members have different motivators and behavioural preferences. If you learn these, and adapt your coaching accordingly, you will more fully engage your team for performance before they start job hunting.

3)      Listen. We see this over and over again in 360 surveys. Take time to listen and encourage staff to share thoughts. Bottled up concerns contribute to disengagement prior to quitting. A manager can’t understand concerns fully until they listen sincerely. If a manager has a poor reputation for listening, regardless of lip-service or “open-door policy”, his/her team will not share concerns or ideas.

Remember, in this global economy, with increasing competition and change, tough times never last, but tough people do. With respect to Human Capital, coach more and manage less for everyone’s success.



PS. I saw the recent Mission Impossible movie this weekend - if managers want their staff fully engaged to achieve the organizational "Mission", they need to coach for Commitment vs. Manage for Compliance. People do like challenges, and to be equipped and encouraged to achieve them.
See some Behind the Scenes with Tom's Ethan Hunt Character:

Under New Management - 5 Steps to Your Leadership Renewal

"Under New Management" says the sign. What comes to mind when you see that? You will see it in retail operations, dining establishments, and residential apartments. Let's face it, the implied message is that it is "New and Improved Management" that will somehow benefit you as a customer.

The unfortunate reality is that an organization or department becomes stale easily. Our human tendency to migrate toward what is comfortable and make it a "habit" is a very natural one. This presents a problem given the ongoing process of competitive, global economic change.

In his book Managing In The Next Society Peter Drucker says, "To survive and succeed, every organization will have to turn itself into a change agent. The most effective way to manage change successfully is to create it. But experience has shown that grafting innovation on to a traditional enterprise does not work. The enterprise has to become a change agent. This requires the organized abandonment of things that have been shown to be unsuccessful, and the organized and continuous improvement of every product, service, and process within the enterprise (which the Japanese, as you know, call kaizen). It requires the exploitation of successes, especially unexpected and unplanned-for ones, and it requires systematic innovation. The point of becoming a change agent is that it changes the mind-set of the entire organization. Instead of seeing change as a threat, its people will come to consider it an opportunity." (Managing in the Next Society, Peter F. Drucker)

Answer this question for yourself:  On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you think you intentionally and proactively seek out opportunities to change the way you manage your people?

To lead/coach others through change effectively, start with yourself. As we close out the old year and begin a new one, this is an appropriate time for reflection on the past and proactive planning for how you will lead differently in the months ahead.

Pull out a pen and paper (or print this page.) Here are 5 steps to help you create "Renewed Management" as you lead others.

1) Challenge yourself. Though this may seem frivolous or uncomfortable, it proves the point of how habitual we are. Which hand is your watch on ? I challenge you to switch it to the other hand for two months as a reminder of the challenge to change some of your management habits in the months ahead.

2) Use these questions to stimulate some valuable self-evaluation. You will find it helpful to do these on paper.

• What did you do well in the last year?
• What do you wish you had handled differently?
• What 2 valuable lessons did you learn (or re-learn) last year?

3) Given your answers above, complete the following:

• One thing I will commit to doing more of is ____________
• One thing I will commit to doing less of is _____________
• One thing I will commit to stop doing is _______________
• One thing I will commit to start doing is _______________

4) List 3 new behaviors that would be helpful for you to implement until they become habits. Which one, if you were to do it consistently, would have the greatest impact on your ability to be an effective leader?

5) For your own renewal, take time to set balanced goals for change. Engage in personal strategic planning. In short, consider 2 or 3 objectives in the areas of mind, body, spirit and career.

In summary, if you initiate a change in the way you Coach/Lead your teams, the term "Under New Management" will refer to the results of your continuous progressive development and the stimulation of innovative ideas vs. your replacement's.

Make it an incredibly innovative year!

Coaching your Staff - Effective Teams don't Focus on the "F-word"

3 Practices to help teams avoid the "Splat" focus...

Would you dare to climb an 828 metre tall building without a rope or net?
I've found the reports of the "French Spiderman" Alain Robert fascinating. He scales some of the world's tallest buildings without a harness, using his finger strength and strategy, as he mentally focuses with absolute clarity on each careful step on the way to reaching his summit goal. Why would most of us refrain from such attempts? Most would simply focus on the possibility of failure, or what I call the Splat Factor of falling. The reality is that when we focus on failure, we become fearful and our actions reflect it like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Let's face it, in the current economy most organizations are facing challenges, and the media certainly can be preoccupied with the glass-half-empty focus to sell papers. I was speaking with a VP of Sales recently about his team, and we were discussing the need for his sales managers to create clarity of focus on goals. He had been made aware of a manager who totally lost it (emotional control) with his sales team for failing to meet numbers, and even mentioned that there might be a need to cut staff (which wasn't in the plans with the VP). After a talk like that, what do you think a team member would be focussed on? Would they be thinking about what he/she could do to increase sales volume, or the changes they need to make to their resume to start a job search? That's one of the challenges for organizations - maintaining good leaders who can help their people focus their actions and energies on clear objectives, and the next steps they need to be taking to arrive there. A good leader helps the team focus on the future, not on the "F-word" - failure.

Research in the field of Emotional Intelligence makes it clear that leaders influence the emotional states of their teams. In this case, the sales manager's emotional state was contagious, creating focus on failure, which leads to a state of fear, which undermines the accomplishment of sales targets. In fact, it is this state that will foster the disease that Brian Tracy refers to as "excusitis", the symptoms of which are blaming the market and media reports for poor performance. This problem is not limited to sales teams. Instead of feeling that they have power to achieve results, people begin focusing on the 'reasons' for their failure, and this shuts down the creativity that's needed for effective problem solving.

In these times more than ever, managers need to discipline themselves and coach their teams to focus with absolute clarity on objectives - and the actions within their control that can bring them closer to accomplishment.

3 Practices to inculcate:

1) Lead yourself first - Remember, when on a plane the flight attendants always direct passengers travelling with kids (followers) to don their own oxygen mask first before helping others. Likewise in leadership - you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. Feeling anxious, stressed? Your people will take their cue from you. Create a new plan to exercise rigorously and regularly. Run, swim, get in some tennis, long walks - 3-4 times per week - and more. Coach yourself here. What do you need to do to be in the best physical/mental shape to endure the climb of the current economic tower before you? Work out more? Stop smoking? Reduce alcohol intake?  Rest? Forget New Year's resolutions - set your goals to enhance your personal leadership now!

2) Coach your team to enhance their personal leadership skills - The reality is that whatever is going on in the lives of your direct reports can impact their performance. Anything from staying up too late to unhealthy eating practices can undermine results. The best way to encourage is for you to model positive personal leadership practices worthy of following.

3) Remember, to Coach/Lead vs. Manage. Remember the distinction between Coach-Leading and Managing. Coach-Leading is transformative and Managing is transactional (all the other non-leadership responsibilities). Don't micro-manage. Resist the temptation to tell your people what to do or solve all the problems. Instead, discuss and gain agreement on metrics for success - then engage them, by using a questioning dialogue, to help them determine and focus on actions needed to  summit at the intended point.

Organizations with leaders who coach their people to clearly focus on objectives and the actions within their control will rise above the competition in the long run. In the absence of doing this, the department culture risks being infected by a preoccupation with the "F-word” - Failure, leading to fear and diminished productivity.

Think about it - then Focus and Get Going!



P.S. For a visceral demonstration of how to ignore the fear of failure - watch this video of French Spiderman Alain Robert scaling a skyscraper!

The 3 Don'ts of 360 Feedback

Is your 360 Feedback process doing more harm than good? Learn about the 3 important "Don'ts" of 360 Feedback in this popular article.

360 feedback can be an excellent instrument in the hands of trained experts, but 360 feedback essentially is a tool. It’s much like a hammer – a hammer can be used constructively, to build things. But I also remember when my son was 2 years old and I was working around the house, if he got a hold of the hammer, not only could it be destructive, but it could actually be dangerous.

We have many managers who come to us, and tell us that our ExcelView 360 Feedback process (where they are able to go through their report and process it over the phone with a trained 360 coach) has been very constructive, and has helped them to focus on areas they would like to develop in, and that is always great to hear.

However, we have also had managers come to us and tell us that they have been through the 360 process with another provider or under another employer, and it had actually been completely destructive, they didn’t find it helpful at all, and in fact it served to undermine their productivity. In at least one case that I am aware of, the experience led the individual make the decision to leave the organization after receiving feedback. When you ask these people what some of the differences were between their earlier negative 360 experiences and those that they later found much more productive, it becomes clear that there are a number of things that you need to avoid when implementing a 360 Feedback process.

Click below to view the video version of this article, or scroll down to continue reading...


The 3 Don'ts

1) Don't launch the process without explaining it fully
The 360 process should never be deployed until both those receiving feedback, and those who will be giving it, have a clear picture of the entire process. You will want to explain that the process is purely developmental (and we do recommend that the purpose be developmental unless you are well into subsequent rounds of feedback in a fully established process with accountabilities).

2) Don't do 360 Feedback in isolation
We always recommend that the 360 be deployed in conjunction with a psychometric of behaviour-based tool, such as the DISC profile. The reason for this is that statistics indicate the close to 80% of feedback the managers receive is actually behaviour-based, rather than skills-based. In other words, when the feedback comes in, it does not mean that there are things the manager cannot do, rather it really shows you observation that the team make, based on their perspectives. If you have a manager, for example, who is very extroverted, fast-paced and big picture oriented, and they are managing a team that is much more introverted, analytical and detail-oriented, you are going to hear very different feedback than if the manager had a team who was very similar to his or her own behavioural style. You will likely hear remarks such as “My manager is unrealistic with deadlines and goals”, “My manager talks too much and doesn’t listen enough” – these style conflicts will come out in the feedback.

3) Don't just hand over the completed feedback
When the feedback is in and the report has been compiled, don’t just hand the results over to the manager – doing so can actually be extremely de-motivating and detrimental. There might be some controversial content in the feedback that requires some context, and they will need to review it with their manager, or perhaps with a trained external coach. When we begin implementing 360 Feedback with organizations or managers, we are very clear up front to make sure that they understand what the process is all about, what they can expect, what the goals are, and the fact that we are here to help them, the fact that it is developmental. We have a clear process before they get on the phone to review the feedback from the privacy of their own office, so that they have read through it, they understand where they’re going. When they meet online with a coach, this coach is trained with the expertise to be able to review the content of the 360, but also to build a bridge with the psychometric and behavioral-based understanding, which creates a context that is really much more productive in helping the manager to move forward with two or three development action plans they would like to focus on over the following 12-24 months.

5 Habits Managers must break to be Effective Coaches...

This is a re-post from our original blog - it was very popular, so we thought we'd share it again for those who missed it the first time!
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Without question, these are interesting times for organizations. Managers are challenged with the mantra of "doing more with less", and one significant tool for achieving that goal has to be coaching staff for greater productivity. While most of us prioritize to-do items, we rarely "posteriorize" - that is, take the time to reflect on those things we should not be doing. Below is a listing of 5 habits that actually undermine the goal of coaching for superior productivity. Here are 5 habits you need to break if you want to coach your team to success.

1) Stop Solving the Problems of Others

Too often, managers fail to realize that they are training their direct reports to dump monkeys on their backs. Coach them to solve the problems themselves.

2) Stop Telling - Start Asking

Building on the problem solving, stop telling your Direct Reports (DRs) what to do - instead, coach them by asking for their ideas and solution options. Sometimes it's as simple as asking "What do you think you should do about it?" or "What do you suggest to resolve this?". This engages the DR by making them part of the solution.

3) Stop Multi-tasking and Listen!

From observing thousands of 360 Feedback processes for managers, it is clear that managers need to be focused listeners. This means fully engaged listening, without the distractions of phone calls or checking emails. How valued do you feel when you're talking to someone who doesn't look you in the eye - but instead reads their emails as you speak? (Perhaps while saying, "I'm listening"!)

4) Stop Talking to the Mirror

If you are a manager and you are communicating with all of Direct Reports the same way, then you're not being effective - guaranteed. Effective coaches and leaders recognize that there are different behavioral styles, and they coach or communicate according to the listener's style, not their own. If you don't know the styles of your team, you are guaranteed to be mismanaging some of them unknowingly. Check out our team page for more information.

5) Let go of Control

Many managers strive to control the behavior of their Direct Reports. That is mismanagement that undermines engagement. Good coaches and leaders coach staff at the level of choice, not the level of action or behavior. If your DRs were hired well in the first place, the most productive approach is to coach staff for alignment so that they want to achieve the performance that the job requires. Micro managers are not as productive.
How many of these habits do you need to break? Build your team's performance - replace a bad habit this week.

In the Spirit of Growth,



P.S. This blog post has also been produced in video format - see below.

iPause - Lessons from the life of Steve Jobs

Within minutes of the announcement of the passing of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, news had spread everywhere online. Many people read about it on a device that came from Jobs' own creative legacy - an iPhone, iPod, iPad or Mac. Much will be written about his accomplishments, but one of the words that I expect to see used the most is “Visionary”. To me this means the ability, at times, to go against the grain and persevere to build something that you see so clearly, though others can’t (unlike in politics, where it seems leaders need to see poll results before forming an opinion). Many people have visions but few act so passionately with conviction in attempting to realize them.  It reminds me of the lyrics from a Supertramp track, “Dreamer… can you put your hands in your head?”  Without a doubt, Jobs was our modern day Edison, who will go down in history and remain an inspiration for generations to come.

On the personal side though, Jobs’ illness created a context through which he saw his mortality vividly, and he spoke of how we should all pursue our passions as if each day was our last. The challenge for most of us is that we seem to be going so fast in our lives that we don’t pause often enough, or long enough, to really reflect on where we are going and where we want to go. Like many people, I’ve lost some friends to cancer and had my own personal scare going through the various diagnostics (just the mention of “Cysto”, the med speak for Cystoscopy, brings about memory-induced jolts to my nervous system), and it forces us to pause and reflect about what is important.

Stephen Covey suggests that we imagine going to a funeral in 3 years, where there are four people speaking about the deceased: A family member sharing what this person was like in their family, a friend speaking about the joyful caring friend they were, a colleague speaking of the times they had at work, and member of their community organization - perhaps their church, temple or place of worship - speaking about their values and the humanitarian efforts they chose to give back to. Then, Covey says, imagine it will be your funeral. What do you wish to be said of you - as a Family member? As a friend? As a colleague? As a community member?

It doesn’t need to be as public or as paradigm-altering as the legacy of Jobs. It could simply be the significance of the love and values you pass on to your children. It could be the forgiveness you pass on to others who have wronged you. It could be the passionate pursuit in helping your community in a specific area.  Whatever it is, don’t wait until you reach an illness-imposed reflection point. Make a plan to pause soon and ask yourself some questions. If you had 6 months to live, how would you spend your time? Where, and with whom?

Yesterday, I was thankful to be able to spend the whole day volunteering at my sons’ cross country meet in the sunshine, and I feel really blessed to work with colleagues and clients who are also friends. It is so important to have the pause time to remind ourselves, as Jobs did, of what is important and to be clear on what we value.



In the Spirit of Growth, keep well - and may you have an awesome weekend of reflection and rejuvenation.



P.S. Coincidently, we have been working on a program to direct some of our proceeds from Team Effectiveness work to benefit various Cancer-related charities. If you are interested in learning about how you can build better team communication and help in the cause to conquer cancer, email our client services group and they’ll add you to the list for email updates over the next few weeks.

Successful Change is a 3-way Street

 

Last year in Jamaica, there was a day when we were driven from one hotel to another in the same chain, a 2.5 hour drive. Mid-way through the drive, I was surprised when the driver suddenly slowed right down from the speed he had maintained up until then, for no reason that I could see. He explained that there was a hairpin turn coming up, but the sign post warning of the hazard had been taken out by a truck a few days earlier, and had not yet been replaced - “It soon come mon”, he said. Fortunately for us, he had the knowledge he needed to navigate that upcoming course change successfully.

As the world maintains a rapid pace of change, it continues to impact all organizations - and the managers and teams therein. Along the way, there are many unexpected turns that must be navigated to stay on track in a market, and there are not always warning signs to alert us in advance. Successful change is a 3 way street.

1. Leaders need to Communicate While they Navigate
   When navigating major transformation, leaders need to map out impact points (teams, customers, departments) and plan to communicate what’s up ahead. In fact, they need to “over communicate”. They need to explain the need for the transformation and the intended end result and benefits. Netflix's CEO recently admitted that he messed up by not communicating the details of restructuring, or the reasons for a shift in pricing strategy (splitting the streaming and mail order DVD business).The result? Over a million cancelled subscriptions and a 51% decline in stock price.
   
   
2. Coach to Engage vs. Boss to Disengage
   As the organization sets about for a major transformation, managers at all levels really need to know how to “coach” vs. “boss” their people through change.  In addition, they need to know and understand their people and how each will deal with the change, so as to adapt in how they coach them. Some will jump on board in support, some need more time to mentally process, some need more details. All in all, major transformation can be scary, particularly when not well communicated. It’s reasonable to expect that managers will need to coach through the bumps (of fear) in the road, in order to protect engagement and productivity through the course of transformation.
   
   
3. Accept the Challenge and Responsibility
   You’ve heard the quote by former GE CEO, Jack Welch. “When the rate of change outside of an organization is greater than the change within, the end is in sight.”
   This is as true organizationally as it is individually. Regardless of what role you play, it is important to accept responsibility for your continual skill development and learning, in order to enhance (or at least maintain) your career. Some realize that there is a global shift happening from a culture of job security to  a simple emphasis on employability. In today’s world of skill obsolecence there is no “staying the same”. You are either progressing or regressing, so strategically plan and manage your skill development. If you are a manager, help coach others to do the same.

Remember - there some who make things happen, some who watch things happen, and some who just wonder what happened. 

Peter Drucker is quoted as saying "The best way to deal with change is to initiate it." Don't get left behind.

In the spirit of growth,