Posts Tagged ‘feedback’

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You don’t know what you don’t know

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

“Awareness requires a rupture with the world we take for granted.” Shoshana Zuboff

High performance leaders recognize the need to constantly improve their organization and its people, and above all, themselves. To become better leaders, they continually expand their self-awareness, even if this means confronting aspects of their personalities, habits and performance that they’d rather not see. Self-awareness requires a dedicated effort to uncover the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Here are some steps to get you started.

Accept that others may know you better than you know yourself. It is far easier to have wisdom about others than it is to truly know ourselves. Recognize that you have a biased perspective or that you don’t comprehend the whole picture of your behavior and its impact.

Examine your world view. There’s an old saying that a fish doesn’t know it’s swimming in water until it is thrown upon the riverbank. Up until that moment, that fish thinks that he understands all about the world and how it works. Your world view is a framework that allows you to understand individuals, groups and your “reality.” A world view is like a lens through which you see yourself and others. It is dangerous to assume that your world view is the right one or the same as other people.  To explore your world view, ask yourself, What are my beliefs? and What assumptions do I make about myself and others?

Find a new perspective. Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” To get a different perspective, look at an unrelated industry, ask for feedback from a new source or methodically toss out all of your assumptions and start fresh.

Explore the unknown unknowns. You’re probably pretty comfortable with not knowing every answer. What if you didn’t even know the right questions to be asking? According to an article by Errol Morris in the New York Times Opinionator, known unknowns are the problems you can list and prepare for. The unknown unknowns are problems about which you are completely unaware. Giant leaps in self-awareness and performance can be achieved by not only adding to your list of solutions, but uncovering previously unexplored questions.

You would never accept mediocre performance from yourself. Likewise, don’t accept that you have complete self-awareness, without a consistent and disciplined effort to uncover the real you.

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Posted in Change, Courage, Diversity, Emotional Intelligence, Flexibility, Judgment, Leadership, Personality | No Comments »

Should you be a dictator?

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

Few leadership articles have stirred a response like the one titled Your Company Is not a Democracy by George Cloutier. There was even some question about whether it was serious – or if it was a parody of old-school “command and control” leadership styles. However, it’s a bona fide opinion article, and most of the comments made us cringe.

Here’s Mr. Cloutier’s advice, and Humanergy’s take.

Be a dictator. Give direction, but not about everything. Dictate the mission, values – the critical few things that will keep your organization focused and successful. Don’t waffle on those.

Tell your employees: “Don’t think – obey.” If your employees aren’t thinking, they should stay home. You need all intellects, skillsets and experiences actively engaged on your organization’s problems and opportunities.

Forget your likeability score. Earn respect through true leadership and likeability will probably come. True leaders don’t walk around with the goal of being warm and fuzzy, but they do treat people with genuine respect and kindness. They know that engaged workers who see themselves as an integral part of the organization produce better results. Therefore, good leaders communicate often, get input from their people and earn trust and respect at the same time.

Be a feared general. Don’t use fear as a tool. Using fear as a leadership tool is a sign of the leader’s own insecurities. Anyone holding the reins that tight is doing so out of fear – fear of losing control, new ideas or not being the smartest person in the room. You cannot command respect through fear. What you will create is an environment that encourages in-fighting, short-term gains and employees doing anything possible to look good.

Fear is the best motivator. Praise is a far better motivator. Our blog post on praising employees quoted research on the connection between praise and performance. Employees who receive regular praise have higher productivity and lower turnover, and they make fewer mistakes. Fear, on the other hand, may produce some short-term compliance to avoid reprisals. But because fear increases physical and emotional stress, employees are less productive over time. They’re also profoundly unfulfilled, which in turn causes your employees to dust off their resumes and find a less toxic environment.

Penalize poor or negligent performance. Spend more time feeding good performance than pointing out what’s not going well. Indeed, poor performance must be addressed as soon as it is noted. However, if you as a leader spend most of your time doling out penalties for poor performance, you are taking time from your most high value work. You should spend the vast majority of your time figuring out what is working and building on that success.

Fire incompetent employees. Surround yourself with only the best people. There should be no room in your company for people who operate contrary to the values, ethics or best practices that you’ve established. Hire and groom people who’s goals align with the organization’s and with passion to continually learn. Do that well, and you won’t need to fire many people.

Enforce, enforce, enforce. Adapt, adapt, adapt. Plans are made to be adapted to an ever-changing business environment. Rather than insisting that people follow your plans exactly, encourage adaptation within key parameters. The goals and best practices won’t change, but you’ll be nimble and responsive in how you get there.

Being a dictator requires a leader to possess all the wisdom, creativity, experience and judgment necessary for success in an ever-changing world. No one can do that. Unfortunately, some people still operate in the mindset that they can do it all, that they have all the answers. Scary. As Emile Chartier said, “There is nothing more dangerous than an idea when it is the only one you have.”

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Accountability with compassion

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

A recent New York Times  interview with Niki Leondakis, chief operating officer of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, illustrated an important point. You can hold people accountable to high expectations and show compassion at the same time. Early in her career, Ms. Leondakis felt that she needed to emulate the other (mostly male) leaders who had a take-no-prisoners, harsh style. Over time, she learned that it not only felt better to show compassion, a more compassionate approach was more effective as well.

What is compassion and how can it help you hold others accountable?

Compassion isn’t weakness. Compassion is rooted in a profound respect for others and reflects an unfailing commitment to uphold the dignity of people. As such, all people deserve compassion, even if they’ve made a mistake or even done something unethical or illegal.

Compassion requires listening. When people don’t meet our expectations, it’s all too easy to jump to conclusions. Compassion requires that you slow down and take time to gather facts and listen to the perspectives of all involved, most particularly the person who appears to have a performance issue.

Make sure performance expectations are clear. Part of being a compassionate boss is clearly outlining what you expect in terms of behavior, results and impact. This should be done not only at the point of hiring, but should be reviewed periodically. Don’t forget that communicating expectations isn’t a one-way process. Check for understanding by asking your direct report to summarize her understanding in her own words.

Schedule check-ins and follow through. The annual performance review should not be the first time your direct report hears that there is a problem. Upon hiring, or when a new project is assigned, schedule time for updates and feedback. Don’t assume that everything is going well. Ask questions and share your perspective; if more resources, such as training, information or time, are needed, advocate for what is necessary for success.

Don’t dilute feedback. You might think that you’re doing the person a favor by being less direct. In fact, you’re potentially creating harm. If your direct report doesn’t hear all of the feedback, performance may continue to deteriorate. Then you’ll be forced to deliver even more bad news – even to the point of disciplinary action.

If disciplinary action is necessary, move forward. Expectations were clear. The person was properly trained and supported. If poor performance dictates disciplinary action, as Nike says, just do it.  Not ruthlessly or in a cold manner, but don’t beat around the bush. Share the behaviors that are a problem and how they impact the organization. Outline next steps and expectations. Don’t forget to listen, too, since this is one way to honor the person’s dignity. You can certainly share that you find the situation unfortunate, but  remember that it’s not something you created; therefore, you cannot apologize for it.

Allow the person to have a reaction. Just don’t fall into the trap of taking responsibility for the other person’s feelings. You didn’t create the situation and aren’t responsible for managing the other person’s emotions. Listen and remain calm in the midst of the storm. Above all, avoid phrases like, I know just how you feel or everything will be all right.

A truly compassionate supervisor not only delivers the good news, but the bad as well. Done well, both types of communication foster positive relationships and professional growth. Having the other person’s best interests at heart is a great foundation. In addition to good intentions, deliver your clear, factual message with compassion. You will sow the seeds of goodwill and future success, and everyone will be happier. As the Dalai Lama says, If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

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Coaching lessons from golf school

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

My recent experience at golf school illustrated how frustrating and exhilarating it can be to learn something new. In fact, an anonymous but wise person said, Golf can best be defined as an endless series of tragedies obscured by the occasional miracle.

What lessons were learned that will help all of us to be better coaches and learners, regardless of the subject matter? For coaches:

Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals. The golf pro spent 99% of the allotted time on the basic building blocks for a good swing. It wasn’t just on the driving range. Every time we had a club in our hands, she connected the dots between the current focus and the swing fundamentals.  As we built a good short shot, we also improved on our drives, and vice versa.  Whether you’re teaching someone how to sell widgets or service a machine, define the fundamentals and keep them front and center.

Stay true to what works. The golf pro was immovable when it came to the fundamentals of a good swing, no matter how many times she heard, “Well, what works for me is…” If there are tried and true best practices, stick to those and don’t compromise.

Communicate in a way that works for the learner. The golf pro used multiple means of communication, including verbal instructions, physical demonstration, video reviews and an illustrated manual. She adapted her methods to suit the needs of her students, like when her “80% angle” reference caused us all to stare blankly. She quickly understood that we didn’t get the spatial relations talk, but responded well when she said things like, “keep your head steady, rotate at the waist and straighten your left arm.” A good coach learns to communicate in many different ways – not just in the way in which he or she is most comfortable.

Break complicated stuff into manageable bits. Instead of tackling the whole swing, I spent hours working on bringing the club back to shoulder level correctly. Once my brain and body were coordinating this move well, I was able to incorporate other swing elements. Remember that people can’t keep numerous steps in their head all at once. Mastery of each component part builds muscle memory, increases confidence and sets the stage for overall success.

Use cycles of show, imitate, rectify. The pro would model the correct behavior, we would try to imitate her, and she then provided us with constructive feedback. The cycle was repeated over and over, until we were able to imitate the desired results fluidly.

Think you’re ready to be coached? A successful learning experience requires both a great coach, and a learner with the right motivation and attitude. For learners:

Align with your coach on goals. Some people came to golf school thinking that their game was great and only needed a few tweaks. The pro helped each person become more realistic about their current performance and set goals for improvement. In any coaching situation, be open to the fact that you may have more to learn than you previously thought.

Be a sponge, not a filter. In many ways, the novices at golf school got it right. They kept their mouths shut and their eyes and ears open. They didn’t waste time debating the merits of one grip or another. They took in as much information as possible, and readily tried new things. The result? Fewer tragedies and many more miracles. If you’re learning something new, try not to screen suggestions through the lens of your past experience. You don’t know what you don’t know.

Practice perfectly. Yes, it was mind-numbing to repeatedly practice the correct back swing. Contrary to popular belief, practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. It is only through doing things right that you develop a habit of excellent performance. The amazing thing is, according to Gary Player, the more you practice, the luckier you get.

The most valuable lesson from golf school? Golf, like any skill, is not about executing the right physical movements. It is largely played in our minds. Success is dependent upon having the right attitude as well as skill set. My attitude? Focus, relish the occasional miracle of a stellar shot and remember to have fun along the way.

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Posted in Coaching, Communication, Development, Emotional Intelligence, Fun | 2 Comments »

Do you have leadership blind spots? (You do!)

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

see-no-evil1Ever read something and cringe? The Business Week article titled Discover Your Leadership Blind Spots struck a nerve because some of the examples sounded awfully familiar. While we’d like to think that folks at Humanergy are way too enlightened to have blind spots, it simply isn’t true.

Great leaders are fallible human beings who may not be entirely self-aware. In fact, the higher up the leadership ladder you climb, the harder it is to get the direct, targeted feedback you need to avoid blind spots.

You may be thinking, “I’ve made it this far and am pretty successful. Why do I need to delve into these blind spots anyway?” Leadership and self-deception: Getting out of the box, a phenomenal book, outlines the compelling “why.” The authors point out that if you don’t explore the ways that you currently think and act, you risk:

  • Never uncovering the real reasons why problems occur
  • Never finding the right solutions to the issues you face
  • Never achieving the results you want
  • Placing blame elsewhere (other people, the situation, a bad company, etc.) without grounds to do so

How do you uncover your blind spots and eradicate them?

Realize it’s you that needs to change. You aren’t going to expose your blind spots by focusing on what others need to do differently. Don’t let others’ shortcomings be a distraction.

Seek open, complete feedback. We all need regular doses of in-your-face feedback. Seek a reality check from people whose opinion you value, but be cautious about choosing people simply because they’ll affirm you. Look for at least one “devil’s advocate” – someone you respect, but not one of your biggest fans.

Examine how you see yourself and others. We spend most of our time on auto pilot, not thinking about the assumptions and perceptions behind our behaviors. Think about a recent situation that did not go well. How did you perceive yourself in the situation? What beliefs and assumptions did you have about the other people involved? Read Leadership and self-deception to help you figure out how your unconscious judgments impact your behavior.

Make a plan and enlist others to hold you accountable. Once you know what needs to change, don’t take on the whole enchilada at once. Isolate one or two behaviors to focus on. Be specific and realistic in your action plan. Get others involved. Tell them what you’re working on, how they can support you and how they can help hold you accountable.

Leadership requires self-awareness and a commitment to continuous improvement. Thankfully, perfection isn’t a prerequisite, but trying to do better certainly is.


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Want innovation? Maximize employee engagement

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

team-with-keyAn article by Krisztina Holly and Jim Clifton in Business Week recently postulated that the answer to our economic woes is to inspire and empower employees to innovate. They  challenged leaders  to stop focusing on layoffs and unemployment and start paying attention to the people who are still there – to boost employee engagement.

There’s no one way to nurture people’s investment and engagement in your organization. There are a set of best practices that keep people growing, thriving and bringing their best ideas forward.

Invest in people. Encourage employees to be curious, take ownership for their work, gain new skills and fulfill their purposes in life. You don’t have to spend lots of money to do this. You do have to open the lines of communication, share responsibility and actively nurture your people.

Build relationships. Foster respectful relationships among employees at all levels. First, get real about the quantity and quality of your relationships, and take steps to connect with people. If you don’t have positive relationships with others, those you lead probably won’t either. Create an environment that values the big things, like honesty and integrity, and the small things, like manners and kindness.

Communicate well and often. Practice being a sponge – focusing more on listening and really understanding what others have to say. Communicate in ways that help others understand: Use plain language, share all that they need to know and check to be sure that you both “see the picture” in the same way.

Be open to feedback and willing to change. We all love feedback when it’s positive. Work on soliciting feedback regularly and encouraging people to tell the whole truth. Manage your emotional reaction to feedback, but don’t stuff those feelings under the rug. Most importantly, be humble enough to know that everyone has stuff that needs to improve. Take action to build on your strengths and manage your weaknesses.

These four bullet points are stuffed with best practices. Here are 3 simple steps to zero in on one area and make meaningful change:

1. Pick a focus. Make it practical and tangible, such as I will ask 3 open-ended questions each day or I will ask for feedback 2 times per week.

2. Post it where you will see it (e.g., post hard copy near your desk,  use electronic reminder, etc.).

3. Track how often you do it.

After a few weeks,  evaluate your progress and its impact on your performance. Repeat the process, so that you’re continuous improvement.

Innovation is the fuel that will keep your organization running. Create the right conditions for employees to maximize their brilliance and originality, and you’ll have enough energy to power you through any crisis.

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Is your organization a great place to work?

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

happysunWhat response would you get if you asked employees how it feels to work at your organization? “Not bad” or “depends on the day” might be among the answers. Humanergy recently asked its employees what they thought, and their unanimous response was, “This is a great place to work!”

Okay, we are a very small business. We don’t have hundreds of employees. Maybe you’re thinking, the more employees, the more likely you’ll have disgruntled ones. Maybe.

We think that building and nurturing a great place to work can be a reality, no matter what the size of the organization. We cultivate our positive work environment through four fundamentals:

Be transparent. We say this a lot, and it bears repeating. We value and practice open communication. As a team, we share everything from financial data to vacation stories. We share personal struggles and work challenges. When good things happen, we celebrate together. One employee noted in our recent survey, “I know I can speak frankly with my team and they can speak frankly with me.” Another said, “[Open and honest communication] takes work and is a conscious choice.”

Share the same big picture. We have a set of goals called our TrueSuccess. One of these goals is to make a real difference in the world. Rather than being lofty and unrealistic, the aspiration to make a difference keeps us grounded on what is really important. We approach each phone call, coaching session, email and meeting with the right attitude. We walk away from each encounter asking, “Did I do my best to make a positive impact on that person? What could I do better next time?”

Think and act like owners. We’ve evolved from a two-person partnership to a group of people who make decisions that are in the best interests of our clients and the company. The owners consistently encourage all employees to “think and act like owners.”  They’re not just saying the words. They know that each person’s actions do impact the organization’s outcomes. All employees are empowered to seek input as needed and make decisions that are supportive of the greater good. Goodbye, bureaucratic minutia! Hello, great decisions!

Make good stuff better. Feedback, feedback, feedback. Our success is built on improving as individuals and as an organization. We give immediate feedback and resolve conflicts right away. We use a “24-hour” rule, which means that issues need to be communicated directly to the person within 24 hours. This minimizes distraction, resolves issues and allows everyone to move forward. We regularly acknowledge successes, growth and performance gaps. One Humanergy employee noted in the survey, “We have high standards of performance because our clients have high expectations.”

Oddly enough, we don’t talk a lot about issues of morale and organizational climate. Maybe Dwight Eisenhower was right when he said, “The best morale exists when you never hear the word mentioned.” We focus on the fundamentals, and periodically seek formal feedback on how we’re doing.

Ready to make your organization a great place to work? Start by finding out what your people think now. One low-cost resource is surveymonkey.com, but there are lots of user-friendly options for surveying staff. Want tips for where to begin? Just email Humanergy at info@humanergy.com.

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Microinequities: In communication, small stuff counts

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

boredYou’re talking to your husband, and he picks up his BlackBerry and sends a text. The service representative rolls her eyes when you give her a request. These and other slights might not seem like much, but they add up and can impact our behavior in return.

According to an article published in O Magazine in November, 2005 (The Little Chill by Lise Funderburg), we send between 2,000 and 4,000 subtle signals each day – mostly nonverbal and often not conscious. Some are positive (microadvantages) and some are negative (microinequities).

We owe much to Stephen Young of Insight Education Systems for his work on micromessages. He talks about the roots of these micromessages in our assumptions and beliefs about the world, certain groups and individuals. If we believe that a certain person is not competent, we will send micromessages that convey that. In turn, the receiver of the microinequities can be impacted by them – reducing their enthusiasm, confidence and ability to perform.

What responsibility do we as leaders have when it comes to micromessages?

Recognize  power imbalances. Power plays a part in nearly every interpersonal situation. When you have the power, be aware of how that may impact your micromessages. Do you give different signals to the boss, your peers and your direct reports? What impact might these micromessages have?

Be aware of your assumptions about people. What beliefs do you have about certain individuals or groups? Examine them honestly and consider whether they impact your micromessages. (They do.) It’s never too late to give up your prejudices.

Pay attention to your micromessaging choices. That’s right. Micromessages represent choices. Slow down and tune into your gestures, eye contact, posture and other micromessages, and choose positive ones.

Microaffirm every day. Talk with people you otherwise wouldn’t. Sit next to the person you don’t know or don’t feel as comfortable with. Ask questions and pay attention to the answers. It’s not just for fun. Microaffirmation builds relationships of trust and loyalty.

Don’t just freeze. It can be tempting to turn off your micromessages, or at least to try to do so. First, this doesn’t work. You just look like a robot (not good micromessages), and you can’t sustain it for any length of time. Just be yourself, but a more self-aware you.

Ask for feedback. You may be pretty unaware of your micromessages. Ask your significant other or co-workers to give you feedback. Thank them for their input and do your best to address the microinequities.

Thinking about my micromessaging is humbling. I suspect that I give off many more than I’m aware of, and some I would be ashamed to own. My next step is to be more mindful of not only what I say, but the underlying assumptions that drive my micromessages. Only then will I truly communicate with integrity.

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Feed high performance

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

green-grass2At last, it’s time to transition from shoveling snow to caring for our lawns and gardens. (On behalf of those of us living in the northern U.S., can I just say, “Whoopee!!!!”?)

Just as even a small plot of grass needs attention, so do your employees. To spring to success, feed high performance. Here’s how:

Fertilize regularly with positive feedback. Make it specific, meaningful and truthful. For example, “That report was delivered ahead of schedule and provided the information we needed to move ahead. Well done!”

Rake off those dead leaves, and make success public. Share people’s successes not only with them, but with others as well – in team meetings, on the company’s intranet, etc. Celebrate!

Trim to the right height with insightful guidance. Rather than a general comment that improvement is needed, share best practices that work. Better yet, find ways to coach as they practice new skills, first in “safe” situations, then increase the level of risk/reward over time.

Kill the weeds with constructive criticism. Share opportunities for improvement only when needed.  Bringing up every point of disagreement is like overusing weed killer. It destroys everything. When you give constructive criticism, stay fact-based, calm and focused on the best interests of the person and organization.

A Chinese proverb states, “When spring comes, the grass grows by itself.” That may be true for grass, but we know that even our strongest performers need the right mix of positive feedback and constructive criticism.

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Putting SUCCESS in succession

Monday, March 9th, 2009

j0387426Change is in the air. Is it the smell of spring coming early? Nope, it’s change, and it’s in the form of succession.

Leaders come and leaders go, whether we plan for it well or not. How do you as the current leader gauge the readiness of your potential successor?

Obviously, internal succession is a little easier. We have opportunities to observe up-and-comers on the job, so we should know when they’re ready for the next step. But there are pitfalls to watch out for with internal succession:

  • Don’t assume that a person who excels at her current role will automatically succeed at the next level. Moving up is like going from playing high school basketball to playing college football. New skills will be required.
  • When evaluating the potential leader, think about the runway. What load (baggage) is the person carrying now? What engines (e.g., brains, judgment, strength) do they possess? What time do you have? Will he be able to take off when you need him?
  • Doing is the best teacher. It’s also the best evaluator. Give your potential new leader responsibility at that higher level and see how she performs.
  • Give feedback to the prospective leader that is projective (thinks ahead to the next role) and evaluative/instructive (how far from the target and how to improve).
  • Commit to coaching, or find someone to do it. Ideally you’ll find a person who has incredible potential, but there will be a need to smooth out the rough edges and ensure transition success. For more on how you as the current leader can ensure that succession goes smoothly, check out Harvard Business Publishing’s blog post on the topic:

http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/goldsmith/2009/03/preparing_your_successor_for_s.html

Remember, succession is an intentional process that won’t be successful if you just let it happen naturally. Your legacy is not based on how you left the company on your last day. Your legacy will be determined by how the organization fared in the decade after you left.

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