Archive for the ‘General’ Category
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Dec
12
A number of years ago I was invited by my daughter to come to her 2nd grade class and speak to her classmates about what I did for a living. A terrifying proposition to say the least…how do I explain to 10 year-olds what my job is? Well, one sleepless night later, I came up with what I thought was a simple and accurate way to describe my work.
I teach grown ups how to learn how to learn again!
So proud of myself until a wise guy in the front row exclaimed, “and you get paid for this???” Funny right? But the youngster was spot on because in his little worldview, everyone is always learning. Children are natural sponges, soaking up everything that life offers. But adults unfortunately do not. Over the course of our lives we are taught, “this is the right answer, that is the wrong approach.” Routines and habits become entrenched and our ability to learn something new becomes more difficult.
And yet, we are all working and living in an environment of unprecedented change. Change, by its very nature, demands we learn something new. And yet we resist, push back, and rationalize keeping things as they have always been. In my work these days I challenge my clients (no matter the situation, training, planning meeting, one-on-one coaching, etc.) to be open to learning something new… to have their mind changed by someone or something.
If you want to establish a routine, try committing to having your mind changed on a daily basis. You will be amazed by the amount of new insight you gain and how you become naturally open to change.
And, yes young man, I get paid for this.
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Jul
07
Deciding What’s Important
Posted in General, Leadership | Comments (0)
One of the most common challenges facing leaders today is deciding what is a priority and what is not. I recently developed a program that addresses this very issue. I call it, “Extreme Prioritization.” Why “Extreme?”
Today’s business environment (for most leaders) is incredibly complicated and volatile. The current economic downturn (and all the associated pressures that come with it) has overwhelmed the workloads of most managers. When asked why it’s so hard to prioritize all that work, I hear, “Too many bosses,” “Can’t afford to not get it all done,” “Too many changes,” “People can’t say no,” “Afraid to fail” … and the list goes on and on. So I decided to address both the skill and methodologies for prioritization, but more importantly, the psychological and attitudinal requirements to successfully make trade-offs and ultimately smart decisions.
To successfully discern critical projects, initiatives, etc., leaders must first have a crystal clear understanding of the strategic priorities and goals of the business. If not present (for whatever reason) prioritization will simply be the product of taking care of “my own agenda.” Ask yourself (and your people) how clear am I (are they) about the strategic direction and mission critical objectives of the company. Find out what you don’t know, then actively and explicitly pass it on to your employees. Make sure the language of the mission is present in as many of your business tools as possible, especially in all of your performance management documentation.
If the direction is clear, then the next issue to address is the attitudinal barriers to prioritization. In my mind there are three that most typically and predictably get in the way:
- Cognitive Bias
- Resource Limitation Beliefs
- The Myth of Multi-Tasking
Cognitive Bias is simply the mind’s way of directing what you believe to be important…for example, anchoring bias, where your mind unconsciously places disproportionate weight against initial information, like original budgets, current structure, current people, first idea impression, etc. There is also self-interest bias, where you unintentionally place more weight against those initiatives that serve only you or your function; and finally, group think, where new insights, better assumptions, etc., are overrun by the mob mentality and consensus of a group at work.
Resource Limitations Belief is THE most common bias in business today. I have not yet met a single manager who, at the beginning of the budget cycle, said that they had plenty of resources. Resource allocation is at the heart of every strategy and learning how to deploy resources against the most critical tasks IS the primary job of every manager. Managers must focus (and assess) the value of their resources and deploy thoughtfully. If you have a prevailing belief that you do not have enough, you are already setting yourself up to lose. Leaders must learn how to leverage what they have, specifically identifying where low input resource turns into a high-impact result. Leaders must learn the fine skills of horse trading, effectively deploying the right resource at the right time for the right reason.
Multi-tasking is the most unproductive and inefficient skill leaders deploy today that undermines their ability to focus and prioritize. Much has been studied about the neurological and physical consequences of multi-tasking, but simply put, it is how your brain organizes information and not how it processes information. So much is on our plates today, and for most of us, multi-tasking is the only solution to getting it all done. But I am here to tell you it’s a myth. Just ask people when, in their day, they feel most productive. Most will tell you 6:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m. Why? Because that’s when they can focus, not multi-task.
Cleaning up your mind is a critical first step in learning how to prioritize. In my next blog I will introduce some specific methodologies for determining what is truly important.
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Apr
04
Decisions, Decisions
Posted in General, Leadership | Comments (0)
As Washington lawmakers continue to battle over the budget, I am reminded of fundamental guidelines that all of us should consider when make policy decisions, developing organizational “ground rules,” or when you are guiding your children through adulthood.
Consider these three questions first and you will not be disappointed with the response:
- Will your policies or rules encourage personal responsibility or will it create victims?
- Will your policies or rules enable more freedom or independence, or will it force more dependence?
- Will your policies or rules inspire investment and growth, or will it trigger fear, risk aversion, and stagnation?
The true measure of a leader is not found in their power, span of control or authority; or even in their charismatic and moving speeches. True leaders are measured by the quality, power, and effectiveness of their followers. Imagine considering these questions or “filters” before making decisions that impact those that follow you. The quality, power, and effectiveness of your people will inevitably be determined by your guidance and your decisions.
Encourage and expect personal responsibility from your people (and your children). Make decisions that create an environment that inspires individual freedom and independence, and most importantly, invest in your people’s (or nation’s) or children’s growth. Place a bet on their potential greatness and watch them take off!
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Feb
02
I’ll Believe It When I See It!
Posted in General, Leadership | Comments (0)
“I’ll believe it when I see it!”
The most fundamentally flawed statement that lives in our daily conversations at home and at work. Think about what this statement actually implies. It actually requires you to find something you don’t currently believe in!
In a business context, this adage is as dangerous as developing a strategy based on hope. In a time when employees are looking for certainty in a volatile business climate, asking them to believe in something they don’t currently see is simply unrealistic … because it is simply not how the brain works.
Think about the skeptics and cynics at work. If I ask them to believe that there won’t be any more reductions in force, even though in the past two years they’ve survived two … chances are their brains are going to be searching for evidence to be right about their skepticism first! Human beings love to be right. If I don’t believe something, my brain is going to scan what’s around me to reinforce MY belief.
Therein lies the major challenge for leaders today. How do you change a habit, a norm, an experience, a climate, a culture and enable your workforce to see the evidence? Hard to do unless you have a disciplined approach in your communications AND the subsequent supportive messaging. I have found that it’s not the quantity of communications that works, it’s how you ensure alignment of the interpretation.
People will always ask (consciously or unconsciously) what does THIS mean?? If you are not there to facilitate the interpretation, their skeptical brain will.
The most compelling quote from the bible, “Thomas, blessed are those that don’t see and yet believe.” Suggesting, of course, that FAITH is required. Unfortunately, business leaders must create a deep trusting relationship with their people in order to create this level of faith.
In the meantime…focus on conveying evidence…constantly; and over time, that evidence will out-crowd your skeptics.
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Dec
12
One thing…
Posted in Blog, General, Leadership, Uncategorized | Comments (0)
What if you could narrow down the secret to becoming a highly influential and effective leader to “one thing?” Is it really possible? Think how many less books would be written if great leadership were a result of “one thing.” So in my work, especially the past few years, I have been watching and listening to leaders differently; and asking myself, “What if all these folks have one thing in common, one thing that drives everything else they do; one way of being that exudes confidence and congruity?” Hmm…
Well, I am getting very close to understanding that, in fact, it really does come down to one thing; and here it is:
“Personal Belief in…”
Great leaders who I’ve witnessed personally, or those who I’ve interviewed or researched, all share this one common attribute.
- When they are confronted by a challenge and they bring forward a solution, they have an unshakable personal belief it will work.
- When they are engaging their people in their vision or strategy, they convey with 100% congruence their personal belief in its merit.
- When questioned relentlessly by the press or analysts about their company’s current or future performance, they communicate in clear and compelling terms their confidence in their strategy, or products, or people … and people back off only because … their personal belief was palatable.
Some authors have referred to this as “principle-centered” and to some degree this “one thing” relates. But this one thing I am referring to is more than that … it is a situational choice leaders have to make (and, in fact, do make, whether they are aware of it or not).
How many times have you walked out of a meeting reflecting on what a leader just conveyed, and said to yourself, “This will never fly!” I’ve attended hundreds of sales conferences, leadership summits, etc. and I spend a lot of time in the hallway listening in on what people REALLY think; and most times, it is not laced with confidence in the leader who just spoke. Why not? The One Thing was not evident.
I now coach leaders situationally. I continuously challenge their personal belief systems. How?
- Ask them why they believe this imperative is important. In the first 20 seconds of their response, you will know if their personal belief is congruent with the task at hand. Pay attention to tonality, physiology, and mostly, pay attention to your own reaction.
I call it a “gut check” and you can’t fake it. People today are so tuned in and attentive because the business environment is so fragile. They are looking for certainty in times of unprecedented change. They are looking for confidence where so little exists. People are more likely to go the extra mile, ask the tougher questions, risk a little more, and generally take their game to the next level IF they believe their leader has a personal belief in them.
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Nov
11
The Right Tension
Posted in Blog, General, Leadership | Comments (0)
How do you know when you’ve come to the line between constructive and destructive feedback, or the line between debate and argument, or negotiation and manipulation? What is the right tension between Sales and Marketing, between Compliance and R&D, or a Business Unit and Corporate?
Effective leaders take people to the line and facilitate accordingly. It is clearly the art, not the science, of leadership and cannot be defined by policy, structure, RACI charts, corporate value statements, or meeting ground rules. It takes being conscious as a leader, moment-to-moment, situation-by-situation, and it takes confidence to push the dialogue one step further. Fact is, people are more resourceful, creative, engaged, and productive when they are immersed in a tense debate.
The trick? Shared outcome. Before engaging at a personal, or even functional level, the outcome must be understood and shared mutually by those involved. Too often leaders assume this is known and often, it is not.
Be explicit on outcome, then take a walk to the line.
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People are predictable…especially in times of relentless change. Fact is human beings need context. Simply put we won’t move, decide, confront or embrace change…unless we have a reason to do so. Think about it. Everything you do has purpose behind it. From how you choose to drive to work in the morning, to how you choose what clothes to wear or why you just chose to cut 15% of your operating budget. Everything requires a reason. Consciously and unconsciously our brains are continuously asking the question, “What does this mean?” And if the answer is not provided our brains will access the data (often from past experience) and decide on its own, often based on faulty assumptions. In other words we “MAKE SH_ _ UP” (MSU)
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I am not sure how we arrived here as a nation of mainly dependent, irresponsible, entitled and un-empowered citizenry. But I am going to guess that along the way our leaders forgot the 3 fundamentals criteria that should guide the development of every policy, rule, law, process or procedure.
These criteria apply everywhere: in Washington, in the halls of business, and in the home. Ask or consider the following criteria before finalizing what you believe to be the next great policy.
1. Will this policy inspire personal responsibility or trigger blame or entitlement?
2. Will this policy lead people to become more dependent or independent?
3. Will this policy empower people to act or trigger deference?
Consider these criteria … look in the mirror and be dirt-honest about the consequence of your decisions and rules … You will be amazed at how it reframes your leadership … wherever it is you lead from!
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Sep
09
When dealing with driving a change in an organization, leaders will always face this moment … the moment when people say, “I’m in…” or when they say (rarely to your face). “Over my dead body … you can’t make me.”
Too often leaders assume that by simply informing people about the change, buy-in will come soon thereafter. Not true. When people are faced with change and a must-choose to commit, they will always ask three questions before they step across the line and declare, “I’m in!”
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Sep
09
Private Sector company and employee relationships certainly have changed over the past 25 years. Best described by many as moving from a “Loyalist Era” through a “Careerist Era” to now what is often cited as the Era of “Mutual Self-Interest.” Read more