Posts Tagged ‘relationships’
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
Sophia works as a Sales Associate and is extremely good at her job. She regularly receives maximum bonuses, and is often recognized as her company’s top salesperson. Sophia’s boss recently told her that he wanted her to focus more on supporting her team – the other Sales Associates in her division. Sophia is puzzled. Why should I take my focus off my own territory to help someone else become a better sales person?
Teamwork has become the answer to whatever ails organizations – even when it isn’t the ideal solution. Teamwork is defined by Merriam-Webster online as “work done by several associates with each doing a part but all subordinating personal prominence to the efficiency of the whole.” People must see the value in subordinating their personal needs for the betterment of the team. If they don’t see what is in it for them, team members simply won’t act like a team. What situations call for teamwork? An article in HR Magazine online titled Teamwork – not necessarily the answer points to three factors that indicate when a teamwork model is best:
Work requires more than one person. Manufacturing widgets, serving dinner to 300 people and sailing a large vessel are tasks that require teamwork. There are simply too many things to be done, some of which are simultaneous, for the work to be accomplished solo. Even if the tasks are sequential, complexity requires that more than one brain be applied to the work.
Work creates a common sense of purpose. If the group is working toward a shared result, some level of teamwork would help them maximize each person’s value – and provide a higher level of quality to the customer.
There’s true interdependence. If what Sophia does impacts the success of others, they are a team. This mutual dependence doesn’t have to be 100%. Even if they’re only partially dependent on each other to complete tasks or accomplish results, some level of teamwork is required.
At face value, it may appear that Sophia has little to gain from helping her fellow Sales Associates. However, consider the impact on the company if her “teammates” falter. The organization simply could not continue to thrive based on the sales skills of a single person. In fact, there is a common purpose among the sales team – to maximize the organization’s overall sales. Sophia’s next conversation with her boss will be about how the company can adjust their compensation model to support teamwork – perhaps basing a part of future bonuses on overall sales. That would reinforce the reality that they really do have mutual dependence.
There’s an old saying about teamwork being essential because it allows you to blame someone else. (In case you missed it, that was a joke.) Sometimes teamwork isn’t necessary and can actually get in the way of the results you want. Teamwork is really only essential when everyone has at least a little skin in the game.
Print This Post
Email This Post
Tags: connections, decisions, employees, focus, goals, interdependence, relationships, success, team, Teamwork, time
Posted in Leadership, Teamwork | No Comments »
Thursday, August 26th, 2010
You show up every day and work diligently. You strive to exceed expectations. But are you a passionate leader? Passionate leaders love their work and it shows in their attitudes and actions. How do you recognize and develop your leadership gusto? Passionate leaders:
Sustain commitment. Even when times are tough, passionate leaders continue to enthusiastically engage in the work at hand. They keep their people focused on the right stuff and adjust to changing conditions without compromising their values. Passionate leaders never waver in their optimism and belief in the organization, its goals and its people.
Ignite passion in others. Just being around a passionate leader helps people discover what really makes them tick – their purpose and passion at work. The passionate leader doesn’t just assume that this inspiration will happen on its own; she orchestrates it through getting to know her colleagues and tapping into what really drives them to be their best.
Have a burning desire to make a difference. Passionate leaders have a fervent need to make a difference in the world. They aspire for more than the next promotion or acquisition. Their focus is on the organization, its people and its impact. They have an irrepressible desire to enrich people’s lives and recognize that the best way to make a difference is to continually feed the strengths of the organization’s people.
Roll up their sleeves. Passionate leaders don’t step in to rescue people, only getting into the trenches when they must. They get out of their offices, listen to and talk with others, so they know enough about what’s going on to be the catalyst for others to achieve greatness.
Take care of themselves. Passionate leaders know that a fire can burn bright and then extinguish without attention. They have the stamina to energetically address challenges because they know when to step away and refuel.
W. H. Auden said, “No person can be a great leader unless he takes genuine joy in the success of those under him.” The passionate leader takes joy in many aspects of work – and knows how to both focus and share that enthusiasm for the best results.
Print This Post
Email This Post
Tags: boss, Communication, connections, direct reports, employees, Influence, Leadership, listen, listening, Motivation, passion, relationships, success, tasks, values
Posted in Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Leadership, Motivation, Supervision, success | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010
You recognize it instantly. People with leadership presence exude an aura of command, a confidence that they are in control of themselves and the situation at hand. It’s different from charm or charisma, though they may be very engaging qualities. Leadership presence can be high in people who are extroverts or introverts, so it is not necessary to be the most talkative person in the room.
George S. Barrett, CEO of Cardinal Health, in an online New York Times interview, talked about the importance of people believing in their leader, and trusting the competence and judgment of the person at the helm. He articulated leadership presence as a combination of doing the right things and forging a connection at a human, fundamental level.
What qualities make you a leader with presence, one with an aura of command?
Confidence. Leaders with presence use language that is strong, positive and based on facts. They are calibrated about what they know and don’t know. Because of that calibration, they don’t oversell themselves or their ideas, and are not falsely humble. They are a visible, passionate force within the organization.
Vision. Leaders with presence have a strong clarity of purpose, a compass that guides not only what the organization does, but why. They share this vision widely and engage others within the organization in shaping how the vision will be realized.
Strength under fire. Even in the most arduous circumstances, leadership presence requires self-control and poise. Leaders with presence are grounded in the facts, and do not allow emotions to skew their perspective about what is important. They remain focused and responsive to changes around them and are not afraid to make the tough calls when necessary.
Judgment. Leaders with presence use judgment to achieve excellence. They establish mechanisms for accessing the critical information needed to understand the current reality and predict the future. Like good chess players, leaders with presence think 1, 2 or 3 moves ahead in terms of strategy. They focus only on what’s most important and are prepared with contingency plans for both the foreseeable, as well as the unpredictable, future scenarios.
Learning. Leaders with presence are continual learners. They gain insight first and foremost by listening and asking the right questions. They are disciplined in their efforts to better understand themselves, their people and the world around them.
Humility. Leaders with presence recognize that they don’t know everything and actively ask for help when needed. They admit mistakes and take action to ensure that they are not repeated.
Engagement. Leaders with presence create space for people to own their work and express their passion, thinking and creativity. At the same time, they ensure that people know what results are needed and why and provide the necessary support and accountability.
Image. Leaders with presence project a professional image through appropriate dress, grooming, behavior and language. They freely express their own unique personality within these boundaries, and are comfortable in their own skin.
Leadership presence is an intangible that can be readily observed, and difficult to achieve. The payoff is that leaders with this aura of command can more easily create a work environment where people relax, engage and confidently take action themselves. Without this intangible, others in the organization may feel anxious and uncertain because of the leadership vacuum. Assess yourself today and begin addressing the gaps in leadership presence, so that you can earn the respect and trust of your people.
Print This Post
Email This Post
Tags: best practices, command, commitment, Communication, decisions, direct reports, Discipline, employees, goals, humility, image, Leadership, learning, presence, relationships, Strategic, success, Trust, values
Posted in Communication, Courage, Decisiveness, Leadership, New Leaders, Organizational climate | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010
Although typically thought of as a military strategy, leaders in other organizations must also win the hearts and minds of their people. The reality is that if you lose your people’s hearts and minds, then you will have lost their passionate engagement in the organization. They may still show up, but they will not devote their full emotional and physical energy to the job at hand. How do you win hearts and minds?
Speak directly. Like Voice of America, the U.S. government-funded radio broadcasts during the Cold War, you need a direct way of communicating with the organization’s people. Not all messages need to come directly from the top leaders, however mission-critical communications must. Use email or telecommunication to make it more feasible.
Make your message clear. Think about the one or two take-aways you want people to remember. Then plan carefully to ensure that your message is unmistakable. Use plain language, and keep it brief. If people need to take action, make the next steps unambiguous.
Challenge disinformation. You may not encounter an active counterinsurgency, but rumors and misinformation are probably inevitable. Don’t wait for rumors to die out on their own. Address inaccuracies and falsehoods that surface, so that people don’t get distracted or confused.
No platitudes. In the end, hearts and minds are won by what you do, not what you say. Listen. Provide a balance of challenge and support. Share decision-making. Encourage innovation. All of these efforts make a real difference in people’s work lives and build loyalty, engagement and satisfaction.
Don’t rely on charisma. Personal charm is important, but not sufficient. Humility, integrity and honesty are the foundational keys to keeping people on board for the long haul.
You may not be waging a war, but you do need to attend to the hearts and minds of the organization’s people. The payoff? Folks who not only are dedicated to their work, they also have enthusiasm and zeal for the work that is unmatched by your competition. That’s a battle well worth winning.
Print This Post
Email This Post
Tags: boss, Communication, decisions, direct reports, employees, focus, goals, Leadership, listen, listening, relationships
Posted in Communication, Influence, Leadership, Motivation, Mutual Understanding, Organizational climate, Strategic | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, July 27th, 2010
In an age of unemployment and downsizing, many people are thanking their lucky stars that they have a job at all, even if it’s more busy and stressful than ever. Few people have the luxury of wondering, Is this job helping me to fulfill my purpose in life?
The unexpected death of a colleague can cause us to examine how we’re spending our lives. We ponder our mortality and envision the legacy we hope to leave for the future. Our conclusion is that the most important thing you can do is live your legacy every day. That is, don’t wait until tomorrow to live your values and focus your energies on your life’s purpose. Start with these questions:
What would people say about you at your funeral? If your life ended today, how would you be eulogized? Is it something you’d be proud to hear?
Are your actions and decisions today consistent with how you’d like to be remembered? Not only do you follow the defined rules, but how do you respond in the gray areas – when the ethical boundaries are not as well-defined? As Albert Camus said, “Integrity has no need of rules.”
Are you happy now, or waiting to be happy when…?” The Center for Creative Leadership’s article titled Your Leadership Mojo: Wisdom from Marshall Goldsmith explores the advice that your 95-year-old self might give to you today. Goldsmith’s friend actually asked elderly people who were approaching death to reflect on what is truly important in life. The number one theme that emerged was be happy now. Don’t wait for that big promotion or retirement. Don’t get so caught up in the rat race that you don’t notice the sun is shining today.
Are people your priority? The Leadership Mojo article points out that when the end of life approaches, it isn’t our co-workers who hang out at the hospital. It’s our friends and family, if we’re lucky enough to have both. And doing things today to nurture relationship with people isn’t just important to ensure that you have hospital visitors. It’s the right thing to do, and your 95-year-old-self would tell you so.
Are you accomplishing something meaningful? It can be easy to amass a collection of accomplishments or life experiences, but if they don’t fulfill some aspect of your life’s purpose, they won’t matter much to you in the end. And if you accomplished them at the expense of others, you may not have those hospital visitors after all.
One thing is certain. We’ll all come to the end of our mortal lives. We hope it doesn’t happen soon. George Carlin used to say, “I’m always relieved when someone is delivering a eulogy and I realize I’m listening to it.” The good news is that if you live your values today, your legacy will take care of itself.
Print This Post
Email This Post
Tags: Change, focus, goals, growth, learning, legacy, listening, relationships, time, values
Posted in Change, Courage, Emotional Intelligence, Judgment, Leadership, Uncategorized, Work/Life Balance | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
Lena’s former boss was a tyrant who bullied his direct reports and rarely expressed any appreciation for their contributions. Although she left that job years ago, Lena still feels anger whenever she thinks of how he treated her. Is this something that she should address, or is Lena just responding as any normal person might?
Forgiveness is not something we talk about much in the workplace. We may practice forgiveness of others, and we certainly hope that we are forgiven when we make mistakes. Yet teams and organizations rarely discuss the power of forgiveness.
Forgiveness has often been misconstrued as condoning negative behaviors or just turning the other cheek. This couldn’t be further from the truth. You can forgive a person and at the same time set limits for future behaviors. Forgiveness doesn’t depend upon the other person apologizing or even acknowledging the behavior. You don’t even have to speak to the person to let go of the resentment and forgive. Forgiveness is something you do for yourself. Lewis B. Smedes said, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”
How can forgiveness at work benefit you?
Forgiveness makes you healthier. According to the Mayo Clinic, forgiveness sets the stage for healthier relationships, greater spiritual and psychological well-being, less stress and hostility, lower blood pressure, fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety and chronic pain and lower risk of alcohol and substance abuse.
Forgiveness increases available energy. Nursing a grudge takes emotional and physical energy away from more productive endeavors. According to the Forgiveness Foundation, forgiveness transforms your mind. People report renewed energy and focus when they let go of bitterness and resentment.
Forgiveness unleashes joy. Because forgiveness reduces stress, people find more joy in everyday life when they are able to forgive others. When we forgive others, all of our other relationships are stronger and deeper, and we are able to weather small upsets with greater resilience.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting. When you forgive, you do not forget what happened. You release the pain, anger and bitterness, and you also remember the lessons learned and don’t allow the offending behaviors to reoccur.
If the reasons above aren’t enough, consider the slightly “low road” perspective of Oscar Wilde: “Always forgive your enemies – nothing annoys them so much.” Whatever your motivation might be, take actions to create a culture of forgiveness at work. As with any culture change, start with you. Experience the joy of forgiveness and share it with others today.
Print This Post
Email This Post
Tags: anger, decisions, Emotional Intelligence, forgiveness, humility, relationships
Posted in Courage, Emotional Intelligence | 1 Comment »
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.”
Print This Post
Email This Post
Tags: best practices, boss, Communication, fear, feedback, focus, goals, Judgment, Leadership, learning, listening, performance, relationships, Supervision, values
Posted in Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Leadership, Supervision, Trust, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010
You’re piloting an airplane. You take off from the airport and head west towards the mountains. Your altitude is gradually increasing, but not at a fast enough rate. Without the right maneuvers now, the plane will crash into the side of the mountain.
A nightmare, right? Yes, but it’s also a great analogy for a problem we’re seeing in many organizations. Teams and individuals are working hard and seeing improvements in their performance. However, the business realities require them to get better at their jobs faster. Without a steeper trajectory, individuals and the organization will crash.
As an individual performer, how can you maneuver quickly to amp up the rate of your performance improvement?
Prioritize. What are the highest value things you can do to improve results and make a big impact? Not the good uses of your time – only the critical few. Make those your priorities. Keep them uppermost in your mind, on your calendar and in your daily activity. When you know where you’re going and what it will take to get there, communicate this widely so that others in the organization also redirect their efforts.
Focus. This can be hard, but something’s got to go. It takes courage to dump projects and readjust activity to align with just a few priorities. The key is to focus relentlessly on the drivers of success. Don’t do the other stuff. If there is not a direct relationship between the project or initiative and your highest value priorities, stop!
Be consistent. One of the most maddening dynamics in organizations is when the boss says A, B and C are our only priorities. Then something cool – unrelated to A, B and C – comes along. When opportunity knocks, don’t waffle; figure out if it aligns with your top 1, 2 or 3. If not, just say no. A compelling distraction is still a distraction.
Many of the strategies above work for teams too. Also consider the following:
Assign sufficient resources. As James W. Frick said, “Don’t tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money and I’ll tell you what they are.” Clearly articulate a business case for what you’re doing. Then negotiate with your superiors to assign more time or employ new technologies to get the job done.
Feed your people. You’re leading a team that’s failing. Your first impulse might be to point out all the things that are going wrong. Instead, identify what’s working (Feed) and reinforce those behaviors. Then decide what you must achieve (Need) and fill in the gaps with new actions (SEED) that need to happen. Only after Feed, Need and Seed do you eliminate practices that aren’t working (Weed).
Quit bickering. When the going gets rough, back-biting and blame find fertile ground. Model and enforce a climate of open communication and respect. Help people to say what they need to say in a factual manner. After the crisis has passed, there will be plenty of time to dissect what happened and how it might be prevented in the future.
A Chinese proverb states, “A crisis is an opportunity riding the dangerous wind.” Face the reality of your impending collision, so that you can maneuver to make the most of the opportunity.
Print This Post
Email This Post
Tags: action, best practices, Change, Communication, direct reports, Discipline, focus, Leadership, prioritize, relationships, Strategic, success
Posted in Change, Courage, Customers, Judgment, Leadership, Strategic, crisis | 1 Comment »
Monday, May 3rd, 2010
That MBA degree is dandy, but the lessons learned can’t hold a candle to Mom’s (or Dad’s or Gram’s) wisdom. A recent poll of Humanergists resulted in these leadership lessons from our very first role models.
I don’t care if “everyone” is doing it. Mom taught us to have courage and make decisions for ourselves. Don’t get caught up in passing trends or we’ve-always-done-that thinking.
If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything. Sometimes harsh truths must be spoken, but keep balance by sharing positives as well. Don’t speak in anger, when it may be harder for you to communicate the good along with the bad.
Accept a compliment graciously. Maybe it’s embarrassment or false humility, but we often stumble or say, “oh, it wasn’t that great,” when a simple “thank you” is all that is needed.
Get outside. While this phrase was most often used when Mom was sick of us underfoot, we recognize now the power of nature to boost our mood and change our perspective. Get up, walk around, go outside or do whatever it takes to change your environment. You’ll find inspiration - or at least some respite from the usual routine.
What am I, chopped liver? Especially in adolescence, we kids acted as if our parent were alien life forms and unworthy of kindness or consideration. Remember that even the most quirky of our fellow humans deserves respect and compassion.
Do you want your face to freeze like that? Nonverbals not only matter, they communicate volumes, even when we’re not aware of them. Get some feedback about how your posture, facial expressions and mannerisms help or hurt your leadership.
Every cloud has a silver lining. No matter how distressing, every situation has potential advantages and disadvantages. Don’t ignore the cloud, but do recognize and capitalize upon the silver lining.
If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride. Dream big, but don’t just passively yearn for things to be different. If you want something, take a step today to make it a reality. Action is necessary to achieve.
Be home in time for dinner. There’s nothing like unstructured time with loved ones to recharge your batteries. Share a story, a joke or something that happened in your day. Listen as others to do the same. Even if it’s just take-out pizza, it will be a feast.
Mom’s most enduring lessons were not the ones she talked about. They came by the way she lived her life – with grace in spite of our many imperfections and bravery in the face of life’s challenges. The least we can do is try to do the same. Thanks, Mom.
Print This Post
Email This Post
Tags: anger, best practices, Communication, humor, nonverbal, prioritize, relationships, time, values
Posted in Leadership | 1 Comment »
Monday, April 19th, 2010
Is your leadership consistent, regardless of the setting you are in, the people you’re with or the circumstances you’re facing? Consistency in leadership may sound like a recipe for boring sameness or rigid thinking. On the contrary, being a consistent leader means:
- What is important today is also important tomorrow
- You don’t chase the latest fad, project or trend
- Your bad mood doesn’t cause you to act radically different
- People know what to expect from you
Being consistent in your leadership means that even under duress, you make the right choices. You steer the ship, make mid-course corrections and align your “crew” around important best practices that will help you reach your destination.
Even the most reliable and unswerving of leaders must be able to adjust to change. Yet, the consistent leader will be grounded, so that unfamiliar and challenging conditions won’t change the quality of interactions, thinking and decision-making.
How do you stay on course and make consistently positive leadership choices? Start by answering these four questions.
1. What is success? Success is defined first by the impact you want to make – and secondarily by the results you need to achieve to have that impact. Think about who and what will be changed by your efforts. That’s your impact.
2. What is sacred? What are your non-negotiables? Make a list of the things you will not compromise, no matter what. For example, you might list ethical standards that are vital and unchanging.
3. What is important? List a few guiding principles for your life and your leadership. Examples might include:
- Act with integrity
- Be a good steward of resources
- Be humble
- Have fun
4. What works? Know – and grow – best practices that lead to success, help you hold fast to what is sacred and allow you to focus on what is important. Identify the thinking and actions that are requirements for questions 1, 2 and 3.
Consistent, dependable leadership choices provide a solid foundation for your people – enabling them to weather storms and operate at their peak. You shouldn’t be completely predictable. You don’t have to be perfect, and you’re allowed to have bad days. What you cannot do is permit outside conditions to change you fundamentally – causing you to shift whichever way the wind blows. Be the anchor that your organizational ship requires.
Print This Post
Email This Post
Tags: Change, choices, Communication, consistency, Judgment, Leadership, prioritize, questions, relationships, success, values
Posted in Decision-making, Judgment, Leadership, Strategic | 1 Comment »
Sophia works as a Sales Associate and is extremely good at her job. She regularly receives maximum bonuses, and is often recognized as her company’s top salesperson. Sophia’s boss recently told her that he wanted her to focus more on supporting her team – the other Sales Associates in her division. Sophia is puzzled. Why should I take my focus off my own territory to help someone else become a better sales person?
