You don’t get to work with perfect people.
This a quote from one of my clients. "You don't get to work with perfect people." Too many leaders who are having problems with their teams, immediately decide to remove someone or restructure. My experience as a coach tells me that you can try working with the team first. If you can get the whole team working more effectively, you can either solve the problem without letting someone go or you will highlight where the real issue is and make the right decision. You can help the whole team work more effectively through coaching the team.
Coaching teams is not the same as having a team building session. Coaching teams is far more effective than conducting team building sessions. Team building sessions create a "feel good" atmosphere during the session and maybe, if you are lucky, for a short time after the session. Coaching teams takes a few sessions, some time, some one-on-one coaching work and some measurement.
Team coaching also takes a committed and courageous team leader. The leader is the force who drives the team to make changes. The leader shows leadership by changing first. The leader must also be prepared to look at themselves honestly and make their own changes. Often there is feedback for the leader to consider. Effective teams are not solely about the leader, each person will have to commit to doing some things differently.
Here is how it works. 1. Contracting with the leader . "What is the current state?" "What does this team do well?" "What does the team need to be better at?" "In a perfect world, how do you see this team operating?" 2. Measurement. Usually this is in the form of structured interviews. Interviews should be conducted with both team members and "clients" of the team. The interviews can be supported by on-line surveys or assessment tools. 3. The First Team Meeting. The meeting is to set the stage and start working on changing the team dynamics. "Here is what we learned from our interviews. Let's talk about what this means for your team." The focus of this meeting get the team's agreement to commit to some new "team behaviors" and some new team "process". (Team process is really meetings, communications, decision making, team vision). To have lasting change, the team usually needs to focus both on the "soft stuff" (team behaviors or "norms") and on the "hard stuff" (team process). 4. Implementation and next steps. This is different for each team. It almost always involves some ongoing work with the leader, the whole team and some of the individuals on the team. 5. Re-measurement. At the end of a time period (usually a year), re-measure using the same tools and process from the original measurement. Provide the team with the data to celebrate their success and decide on the next steps for the team's on-going development.
Teams can continually improve just like individuals. Teams can get better and better. The trick is to focus on the team itself, spend a little time and measure your progress.
Leveraging Strengths Gives “Life” to People and Organizations
People think coaching is about fixing problems. It is sometimes. Coaching is most powerful, however, when it is used to leverage strengths.
The more I coach leaders, the more convinced I am of the power of leveraging strengths. Everyone has a unique approach to what they do. Everyone can get better by exploring their strengths in detail, understanding them and leveraging those strengths. It seems obvious, I know. Few people do it in enough detail to truly leverage their strengths. Even fewer teams, business units or organizations do it well.
How much detail? Excruciating detail. This means, when you really "nail" something, you examine it. -Why are you so proud of this particular piece of work? -What energizes you about this piece of work? -What does this piece of work tell you about your leadership? your values? your personal unique abilities? -What are the best pieces of this work? Which pieces might you do differently next time? You get the picture. Spend time analyzing what you are good at and proud of so you can repeat it. We tend to quickly forget what went well and dwell on gaps. It can be human nature to focus on what is incomplete or unsatisfactory -- sad but true!
Organizations (whether they be small teams, business units or whole companies) can also leverage strengths. Forget SWOT analysis. Focus on what your organization is truly great at and what gives it life.(For a detailed approach to this, click this link to look at Cooperrider's work).
In your next team building or business planning session focus on the following questions: -Tell a story about a time when you were most proud of your organization. What specifically made you proud? -What does this story tell you about what your organization is good at? What does it tell you about the values that define your organization and give it life? The trick of doing this for organizations is collecting enough of these stories from enough people. Collecting the stories creates energy, re-enforces positive behavior and shows significant trends. The trends are the gold. So forget SWOT. Leverage your organizational strengths. Mine your organizational gold.
The Third Thing.
A really smart person once told me, "When someone comes into your office, it is always the third thing."
It is not the first thing. It is not the second thing. It is the third thing.
Here's the scenario. Someone is lurking outside your door. They want to speak to you. You put down whatever you are doing and invite them in. You wait. They ask you about your weekend. They ask a question about a project. You know they know the answer to the question. You answer it. They say the "third thing". If you are listening, it is the thing that matters. It is the reason they wanted to see you.
Often what happens after the "third thing" is nothing. You miss it and wonder what the heck they wanted anyway.
Why do you miss it? You mind is wandering because they don't seem to have anything important to say. You are busy and have work to do. They often express the "third thing" really softly. It will be floated out. It won't be direct. It will be difficult to notice.
Here's what should happen.
Stop. Notice it is really why they came to your office. Ask lots of questions about the "third thing." Engage in a real problem solving conversation about the "third thing."
Why does this happen?
First, it doesn't always. Some people are very direct and will come in and tell you what they want. It could also be the second or fourth thing but it won't be the first for many people.
Why? If it really matters to them, it is usually hard to say. They may be afraid of your reaction. They see you as the boss and may be unsure if they can ask for what they really want. They are not totally sure of the problem. How can they be unsure of their own problem? They sense something is bothering them but to truly be clear they need to express the problem out loud, dicuss it with someone, examine it, hear another opinion.
The "third thing" is a simple coaching concept. If you use it, you will without a doubt retain and develop your staff better than if you let the "third thing" slide by.
Emotional Intelligence does not necessarily equal success.
There has been a lot written over the past several years on emotional intelligence (i.e. understanding and managing yourself and others). It has been assumed that high emotional intelligence equals success in leadership. My experience has shown me that this is not necessarily the case. People with low emotional intelligence are sometimes successful leaders. People with high emotional intelligence can be unsuccessful leaders. What then is the magic to leadership success and how much of a role does emotional intelligence play?
First let's define emotional intelligence. Emotional Intelligence (EI), often measured as an Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ), describes an ability, capacity, or skill to perceive, assess, and manage the emotions of one's self, of others, and of groups.Wikipedia has a fairly comprehensive entry on EI.
Daniel Goleman outlines the following four competencies of emotional intelligence: 1. Self Awareness 2. Social Awareness 3. Self Management 4. Relationship Management
In short EI is, "How well you understand and manage yourself and how well you understand and manage others". If you manage yourself and others well, you have high emotional intelligence. When you think about this, it seems that high emotional intelligence should drive leadership success. In my experience it does not (not that high EI is not a good thing to have in and of itself - it is).
What is the magic? The magic is a combination of three things: the situation, edge and EI.
Successful leadership is a balance.
Situation -- situation drives how much EI vs edge you need and drives "luck". You need more edge in a turnaround situation than you do when you are taking over for a beloved leader. If you come after the "beloved leader" you need a lot more EI than edge. Where does luck come in? Most people who have had success know that some of it is due to being in the right place at the right time. You take on a leadership role and the economy is in an upswing, yes, you are good but it is easier than when you start in a downturn.
Edge -- Leadership is lonely at times. Edge is your ability to take a position that is not popular with everyone and to stay the course. Edge is your ability to deliver tough messages even if it is difficult. Edge is an unrelenting focus on results. Great leaders have this focus. They have it with at least some emotional intelligence.
High emotional intelligence will drive how much people like working with you. However, if everyone likes you, you are probably not a leader. Leadership is about making changes and about pushing people and organizations to do something new - by its very nature, this causes some discomfort and conflict.
I have also come across a lot of leaders who are highly successful without high EI. They are great on edge. Many people don't enjoy working for them but the organization thrives. Are they as good as they could be? No but they are successful.
In my experience, the really great leaders have relatively high emotional intelligence and relatively high edge and they understand how to shift the balance to suit the situation. The balance of these two depends upon what the situation calls for. A little luck is also helpful.
Posted by Sandra Oliver on December 21, 2007
Leadership
Leadership: “That Special Something”
Leadership must sit on real substance. It must sit on a set of values (the ones your grandparents preached) and on a focus on results. However, there is an intangible piece. That special something: presence, filling a room, motivating people. I think that "special something" can be learned. I'm going to talk about how you get that "special something". Substance is most important but it is not enough.
I have a client who has all of the substance of leadership. He has a value system that drives him to treat people around him in a way that builds trust. People respect him, know he "has their backs" and they know he "will give them the straight goods". This is important in a leader. He has a nice mix of caring for people yet pushing them to be better and focusing on the results necessary for the success of the entire unit.
He is exceptionally bright and has a good strategic mind. He knows what drives business results. He knows what the business needs to do to be successful in the future. His strategy is good and his strategy is written down in a clear and concise business plan.
He has all the substance. He is missing the "sizzle". Sound superficial? It is not. Put simply. Sizzle motivates.
Leadership is about influencing others. It is about influencing those above you (bosses), beside you (peers) and under you (subordinates). People are motivated by that "special something", that "sizzle".
How do you get "that special something"? That "special something" is a made up of many small behaviors. These behaviors can be practiced and learned. If you focus on them and practice them, people will start to notice your leadership presence. In my opinion, here are some to focus on:
1. Filling a room. Taking up space. Deciding where to sit in a meeting. Presence starts with taking up some space. If you sit in the back and say little you have no presence.
2. Choosing to make a few well placed suggestions and comments in the right meetings. I have a client who writes her objectives for each day -- not her to do list. Write your objectives for important meetings. When you leave, what mark will you want to have made? With what players?
3. Owning the right meetings. This means introducing your meeting even if you will not be the primary speaker. Introducing means saying why you think the meeting is important, why you asked everyone to come and telling people what you would like them to contribute or do as a result of the meeting.
4. Not being negative about the organization. Your job is to inspire people. You can challenge the "powers that be" in private. Publically you should be looking for solutions and helping others feel connected and positive about their work.
5. Speaking clearly and directly. Rambling does not inspire. Explanations and justifications are not always required and tend to make it feel like you need to convince. If you need to convince, you appear to be unsure and you do not inspire confidence.
6. Being passionate about your vision. A lot of people are embarrassed about this. They don't want to be too "over the top". They focus on the fact that everyone isn't completely onside. People will come onside (and not all of them, ever, so don't worry about that) if you look like you are confident and passionate about your vision. If you aren't passionate, no one else will be and you certainly won't be seen as having presence.
7. Making great presentations. Nothing impacts people more than this. You can get good at this with practice and coaching. People love to see their leaders on a podium, talking like they mean it.
So, put the sizzle with the steak. You need both to truely inspire.
Feedback is not positive or negative. It is information.
Feedback is merely information. Without it, you are in the dark. Few people are good at receiving it. Few people are good at giving it. Both are skills that can be developed.
How well do you receive feedback?
Senior people can be intimidating either due to position or personal style. I often ask my clients, "How easy is it to give you feedback?" For many senior people the answer is "not easy". See what Seth Grodin says about coachability.http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2007/06/coachable.html
What If You Don't Like the Feedback? I've got news for you. Nobody likes feedback! (Especially the negative stuff).
Think of feedback is a gift. Like any gift you first say thank-you and then you decide what you will do with that gift.
Examine the feedback. Ask 2 questions.
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Do you care? (maybe this feedback isn't important for your personal objectives). Just because someone doesn't like something you are doing doesn't automatically mean that that thing is important.
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Do you agree? Maybe you care but you don't think the feedback is accurate. Test it. Ask for validation from a few others you trust. Make sure you are not being defensive. Finally, if you want to, act upon the feedback.
Now, I want to focus on the other side -- how do you give good feedback?
I seem to be talking to a lot of my clients about giving good information (in the form of feedback) lately. Good information in my mind is offered in a non-judgmental, factual, clear and caring way .
If you do it well, you will offer it openly and without the need to convince. You are not selling your position, you are offering information. You might be wrong and you should be open to that before you offer your feedback. If you do it well, people will often thank-you.
Here are 11 practical tips on giving good information in the form of feedback: http://www.slackermanager.com/2007/11/there-is-no-such-thing-as-positive-or-negative-feedback.html
When Enthusiasm Takes a Wrong Turn
This article, written by sales performance firm Huthwaite, addresses the problem of unexpectedly underwhelming customer reaction to new products and services. The problem: new products are often launched to the sales force with too much focus on the products bells and whistles and not enough focus on how it can benefit customers.
On top of that, their research shows that a sales force that is too enthusiastic about a new product or service sell less effectively than a less enthusiastic salesforce.
An interesting, and surprising outcome.
http://www.huthwaite.com/go.cfm?do=Spin.View&sid=129
“Blink” Program Development
Discuss, propose, discuss, test, discuss, propose again, tell everyone about it so they know it is coming, implement.
Seems cumbersome.
How about the following? Discuss and implement. Partner, discuss and adapt as we go along.
In several of our clients we are trying the "Blink" method of program development. It has been most successful with a group we are working on building coaching skills. We got together, decided we didn't want to do a training course, and together we came up with a format. IMPACT helped launch it. The client has run with it. We get connected periodically, refine and keep going. It has been quite a success.
Another story has been a little more difficult. Similar to the group above, we agreed we had a problem to solve -- help people be more successful at work. The challenges with this story have come with the partnering piece. It is important to ask for and accept regular feedback and then adjust and move forward. What has broken down? Probably time and focus. We get the feedback and we have not dedicated enough time to the adjustment phase. We have not been ok with the negative feedback. The important assumptions in these kind of "blink" implementations is openness to imperfection and building it as we go.
What do you need to make this work?
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courage to not be perfect and try some new things
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open communication: consultant, client and participants need to be able to say "this isn't working" let's change
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participants in the program need to be able to provide regular feedback
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the time to make the adjustments
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stamina: the ability to maintain focus on your objectives while changing your approach or the details. Not throwing the "baby out with the bath water".
Extreme Coachability
During a recent group coaching session, one of the participants talked about a story that was very similar to the ones described in the article that I'm linking to below.
He said he asked his coachee what kind of coaching that coachee would like -- I quote ( I remember it because I liked it so much!), "Do you want the full coaching package or do you want the coaching lite version?" The coachee went for the full package, giving this leader the permission to coach on everything - voicemails, emails, mode of dress, etc.
Great story -- It goes to show how 'customizable' coaching setups can be, depending on the people's needs and personalities. It also shows how far reaching a coach can influence someone's behaviour in a positive way.
Read the full story from Management Craft.
Ten Signs of Incompetent Managers
This time of year I hear from clients on people's competence to lead and manage. The year is either wrapping up or starting for many businesses.
Here are 10 good ways to tell if the person you are coaching is a good leader and manager of not. If the person you are coaching has one or more of the characteristics, challenge yourself -- are they really adding value?
Read the article from Fast Company: Ten Signs of Incompetent Managers.
Revisiting Some Basics: for Mentors
Far too often, organizations expect experienced managers and others to mentor without preparing them for the role. Many mentors, perhaps including yourself, aren't quite sure they're on track. Here are some basics to review to see if your thinking and actions are similar to valuable practices discovered by others.
Read the Full Article - by Dr. Linda Phillips-Jones
Downturns and How to Deal With Your Staff
Despite a good economy, many continue to be worried about their future. This no doubt affects you as a leader - undoubtedly there will be people on your team who are concerned for their job and their overall economic well-being.
In the article High Anxiety (Forbes), Dennis Zeleny talks about personal economic anxiety as a real issue today and explores 7 areas where leaders can help to their people to deal with these anxieties.
High Anxiety - Forbes May 31, 2007
Seven Deadly Workplace Sins
While most of us share a common goal of achievement and success in the workplace, we also know that there are ways to accomplish this ambition -- and ways to fall short.
"Success in the workplace doesn't happen 'on a wing and a prayer,' but rather by knowing what specific job promotion pitfalls to avoid in working toward that heavenly pot of career gold," says John McKee, business coach and author of "21 Ways Women in Management Shoot Themselves in the Foot."
To avoid becoming the once-respectable, often-humble guy who got a promotion but lost his wits (and gained an ego), follow McKee's advice on the seven deadly career sins to assure career advancement and move you on the path to paycheck promise land:
Full Article
Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership
Two decades ago, people began using the "glass ceiling" catchphrase to describe organizations' failure to promote women into top leadership roles. Eagly and Carli, of Northwestern University and Wellesley College, argue in this article (based on a forthcoming book from Harvard Business School Press) that the metaphor has outlived its usefulness. In fact, it leads managers to overlook interventions that would attack the problem at its roots, wherever it occurs.
A labyrinth is a more fitting image to help organizations understand and address the obstacles to women's progress. Rather than depicting just one absolute barrier at the penultimate stage of a distinguished career, a labyrinth conveys the complexity and variety of challenges that can appear along the way. Passage through a labyrinth requires persistence, awareness of one's progress, and a careful analysis of the puzzles that lie ahead. Routes to the center exist but are full of twists and turns, both expected and unexpected. Vestiges of prejudice against women, issues of leadership style and authenticity, and family responsibilities are just a few of the challenges. For instance, married mothers now devote even more time to primary child care per week than they did in earlier generations (12.9 hours of close interaction versus 10.6), despite the fact that fathers, too, put in a lot more hours than they used to (6.5 versus 2.6). Pressures for intensive parenting and the increasing demands of most high-level careers have left women with very little time to socialize with colleagues and build professional networks--that is, to accumulate the social capital that is essential to managers who want to move up. The remedies proposed--such as changing the long-hours culture, using open-recruitment tools, and preparing women for line management with appropriately demanding assignments--are wide ranging, but together they have a chance of achieving leadership equity in our time.
Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership, Alice H. Eagly; Linda L. Carli, Harvard Business Review, September 1 2007
Off-Ramps and On-Ramps: Keeping Talented Women on the Road to Success
It's a reality that many talented women will need to take time out from their careers at some point(s). The challenge of returning to their careers, which is mostly unique to women is examined in detail in this article.
The authors actually uncover the extent of this problem but also argue with looming talent deficits, employers need to help stem the drain of talent by creating connections with women who leave the workforce temporarily in order to make it easier for their return.
Off-Ramps and On-Ramps: Keeping Talented Women on the Road to Success by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Carolyn Buck Luce, Harvard Business Review March 2005
Harvard Business Review Description: Most professional women step off the career fast track at some point. With children to raise, elderly parents to care for, and other pulls on their time, these women are confronted with one off-ramp after another. When they feel pushed at the same time by long hours and unsatisfying work, the decision to leave becomes even easier. But woe to the woman who intends for that exit to be temporary. The on-ramps for professional women to get back on track are few and far between, the authors confirm. Their new survey research reveals for the first time the extent of the problem--what percentage of highly qualified women leave work and for how long, what obstacles they face coming back, and what price they pay for their time-outs. And what are the implications for corporate America? One thing at least seems clear: As market and economic factors align in ways guaranteed to make talent constraints and skill shortages huge issues again, employers must learn to reverse this brain drain. Like it or not, large numbers of highly qualified, committed women need to take time out of the workplace. The trick is to help them maintain connections that will allow them to reenter the workforce without being marginalized for the rest of their lives. Strategies for building such connections include creating reduced-hour jobs, providing flexibility in the workday and in the arc of a career, removing the stigma of taking time off, refusing to burn bridges, offering outlets for altruism, and nurturing women's ambition. An HBR Special Report, available online at http://www.womenscareersreport.hbr.org, presents detailed findings of the survey.
