Jun 10 2013

Employee Engagement: Be Part of Something Big

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Employee Engagement: Be Part of Something Big7DS59AA~2

It was dark. It seemed awfully hot for November in San Antonio, Texas. As our large group descended from the bus that had brought us from the airport some guy in a big hat was yelling something about his Air Force and what insignificant low life creatures we were. The rest of the night was spent picking up bags moving a little ways, then setting them down, only to pick them up again.

That was so many years ago, but is still a vivid memory. We low life creatures did not realize it at the time, but we were learning our first lesson in leadership, and a secret to employee engagement.

As I recall those days I remember when we were allowed to wear the U.S. Air Force name on our utility uniforms. We were told we had to earn that privilege. By that time we had begun to see that we were part of something much bigger than ourselves.

That same attitude should permeate every organization. Your organization may not be charged with defense of the nation, but you exist for a reason. Each of your employees is part of that, they are all essential to the success of the organization. Do they understand that?

Have you made it clear to each and every one of your employees that they are part of something bigger than just themselves? Sometimes I hear comments like “This doesn’t really apply because my company doesn’t do anything as lofty as the military.”

My answer is that you, or someone, has built your company and made it a success. As such it provides a product or service that is obviously in some demand and which offers a benefit to others. If you can’t sell that as something bigger than the individual employees, you might want to find another job.

In other words, your people won’t believe they’re part of something bigger than themselves until you do. Show them they are by helping them understand why they are important to the organization and how important their contribution is to the larger organization: that they’re part of something bigger than themselves.

Military uniforms and insignia are obvious signs of belonging but they’re meaningless without each individual’s understanding of their part in the larger organization.

 

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Jun 07 2013

Leadership Dilemmas – The Difference Between Fair and Equal

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Leadership Dilemmas – The Difference Between Fair and Equal

Are you treating all your employees in a fair and equal manner? I hope not! These two words EqualFairare often considered synonymous, Roget’s Thesaurus lists equal as a synonym for fair, but they are very different.

Let’s say I have two employees, Jack and Jill. Jack has been with the company for 18 months while Jill is a more recent addition. Since I strive to be fair, I have ensured that Jack and Jill both have everything they need to do their jobs. They are both held to the same standards and were provided the same instructions and policies when they were hired. Also, both have been given opportunities to lead small teams. They each started out with equal opportunity.

But they aren’t equal.

Jill has really excelled. She puts in the extra effort to produce extremely high quality results. Her team leadership is very effective and has resulted in resolution of several problems that hampered the company.

Jack on the other hand has been content with a mediocre performance. He’s made it very clear that he understands his job description and doesn’t intend to expand beyond what that document says. His team leadership is laissez faire at best and sometimes almost toxic. He accomplishes what he is tasked to do and nothing more and his work never seems to go beyond the minimum standards.

Business has been good this year and the company has made some extra money. I’ve decided to use some of that bounty to provide a bonus to employees. If I want to treat Jack and Jill equally, I’ll give them both an equal share of the bonus.

But, is that fair?

Here’s another example. Occasionally, I come across an establishment that asks patrons to place tips in a tip jar, rather than giving them to individuals. At the end of the day, employees split the tip jar. Everyone gets an equal share.

That makes it equal, but is it fair?

In both of these cases, equal is decidedly unfair. It is unfair that Jack should receive an equal share of the bonus that was largely earned by other’s harder and more effective work. Likewise, the server who provides minimum service will share in the greater tips brought in by the server who is harder working, more diligent, and more professional.

Giving everyone equal opportunity is certainly fair. Each person in the organization should have the same opportunity to succeed. Treating them as if they each produce at an equal rate is not fair to those who work hard and strive to excel.

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Jun 05 2013

Leaders and Conflict – Nothing Personal

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Leaders and Conflict – Nothing Personal

Does your team feel comfortable making suggestions and engaging in serious discussion and debate?

This is a cultural issue within the organization and it starts at the top. As a leader, you need to be comfortable with discussion and debate, but you must also encourage it in your team members. This is sometimes harder than it seems. Often people tend to shy away from debate, fearing that they will upset someone else or put themselves in a bad light. These are valid concerns and must be taken seriously.

You can begin alleviating those concerns by first being open to suggestions and discussion yourself. Then encourage discussion among the team. Draw out those that are hesitant to participate by asking them direct questions, then obviously and seriously considering their contribution. While you may disagree with someone’s input, never disagree in a way that doesn’t clearly separate their input from them personally.

For instance, if Janet makes a comment that I completely disagree with it would be wrong to say, “Janet, that’s just dumb.” Rather, I should say, “Janet, I see what you’re saying but I don’t agree. Here’s where I differ. Does that make sense?” I’ve disagreed with Janet and opened the door to further discussion without personally attacking her.

For this type of healthy conflict to be most effective it must be part of the organization’s overall culture. Healthy conflict occurs across the organization and throughout the day. Is that true in your organization?

 

 

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May 29 2013

Leaders, Is This Change Necessary?

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Leaders, Is This Change Necessary?

Stop the madness!

I logged into LinkedIn the other day and surprise, the page had changed. DownloadNot a lot, but enough that I couldn’t find what I was looking for. The same thing happened recently to the internet browser I use. Someone thought it was necessary to move the download progress box to a different location. Rather than letting me see it, they decided it was better to make me look for it. After all, what else did I have to do?

Bill Gates reportedly said the secret to making money was upgrades. Microsoft has certainly proven that model. But what about all those little changes that I get for free in programs like LinkedIn or the web browser? What’s the purpose of those changes? Is it just change for the sake of change? Most likely, yes. I’ll explain shortly, but first, compare this to your actions as a leader.

It’s tempting to make a change just because it seems like a good idea, or because it will look pretty cool without really considering the cost or effect of that change. As leaders we sometimes can’t see, or don’t bother to look at what effects our brilliant ideas will have on the workers who must implement them. We also don’t think of the cumulative effects little changes will have. It’s way too common to see the world through our narrowly focused stovepipe.

My experiences in the military provide an excellent example. Some years ago, in response to shrinking budgets, various support services were eliminated. It started when the part of the logistics function that ordered bulk office supplies was transferred to the units. We were all told that this new unit responsibility “would only take a very small amount of time.” That was true. Trouble was, another agency did the same thing. Then another, and another until before long units were spending as much time doing all these other functions as they were trying to do what they were chartered for in the first place.

Each of those changes made sense to the function that made the change. They appeared to increase efficiency while decreasing cost. To the people who had to implement the change, it was a completely different story.

Back to the original example. Changes in the look and feel of computer software have become standard. To those of us in the Boomer generation, this may not make sense. But to the younger generation it does. I firmly believe the human attention span has evolved to the point that new stimulus is required exactly every 752 milliseconds. These constant little changes are expected and even demanded by the younger generations, but are frustrating those of us who are a little older. But the same pace of change that has become standard in the world of computer programming is much more likely to cause discontent when foisted on the organization’s population. Leaders still must do due diligence before making a change.

Remember that the workers who are so accepting of apparently arbitrary changes to their web browsers are much more likely to walk out the door if they feel the company is making arbitrary changes in their work situation that don’t benefit them.

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May 22 2013

What To Do When the Change Really Was Wrong

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What To Do When the Change Really Was Wrong

I thought it was a brilliant idea, I’d weighed all the options, considered possible consequences, and examined the impact the change would have on the organization. Everything looked good. So I implemented the change and sat back to watch the amazing, positive transformation that would follow.

It didn’t. So, I naturally set about finding the people who were blocking the way so I could convince them that this really was a brilliant idea and just needed a little time to work.

I was wrong. What seemed brilliant in concept turned out to be less so in application. This is something that happens to all leaders. The question is, after you’ve just laid this colossal egg, what do you do next?

I suggest the following actions.

First admit that your attempt at improvement fell a little short of the mark. There’s an old saying that the first thing to do when you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging.

Next, do an honest analysis of what went wrong. Was the idea bad to start with? Did your implementation leave a little to be desired? Was the timing of the change bad?

Third, once you’ve done your own analysis, gather a few of your trusted team members and get their feedback on those questions. This can be a little painful, but that you asked for their opinions will go a long way towards success in the next step.

Finally, decide whether to try again. It’s very possible that you were on the right track, but your idea needed a little adjustment. The input from your team may well answer that question and since you asked for their thoughts, they’ll be much more likely to support your next attempt.

Change doesn’t always work out but don’t stop trying. Learn from what happened and move on.

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May 20 2013

7 Tips For Leading Effective Meetings

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7 Tips For Leading Effective Meetings

There is little in the working world as distasteful as unproductive, poorly led meetings. It’s Businessman Conducting a Meeting with His Staffironic that many of the most distasteful and unproductive meetings are led by the ones who complain the most about other’s meetings.

Meetings that people don’t find terribly onerous or wasteful are possible. Here are seven tips to start you on your journey to the meeting chair hall of fame.

1. Plan for the meeting and write an actual agenda. That seems simple enough, but is far too uncommon.

2. Once you have the agenda, publicize it. Let everyone know what you intend to accomplish. Of course once you’ve developed and published an agenda, follow it. If anyone else is expected to contribute, make sure they know what you expect them to provide.

3. Start the meeting on time. How many times have you had to cool your heels waiting for the meeting to start? Often the chair is waiting for people to arrive. If the meeting always starts on time, these latecomers will get the message.

4. End the meeting when you say you will. A one-hour meeting should last no more than, you guessed it, one hour. The one-hour meeting can be less than an hour, but no more. Time is valuable; not just yours, but everyone’s in the room.

5. Prepare the meeting room. Have you ever been to a meeting where there weren’t enough chairs, or the AV system hadn’t been warmed up? If you aren’t prepared, it will be impossible to follow step 3.

6. Have someone take minutes and make sure the minutes are distributed shortly after the meeting to remind everyone what the meeting accomplished.

7. Make sure any action items are assigned to someone with a definite completion date.


Meetings don’t have to be painful! To learn more including effective use of visual aids and tips for using electronic equipment for virtual meetings get Don’t Worry, You Can Do This! What New Supervisors and Managers Need to Know About Leadership.

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May 17 2013

8 Tips for Better Leadership

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8 Tips for Better Leadership

Some random thoughts on leadership and how to be a better leader.

Never confuse the words “leadership” and “good leadership.” We often say that someone isn’t a leader when we really mean he or she isn’t a good leader. Bad leaders are still leading.

Don’t lie. When you lie you have to remember to whom you lied, when, and in what context. It’s much easier to tell the truth. (This was for people who had to be told not to lie in the first place)

The higher you go, the less you know. That’s right, people tell you less the more responsibility and authority you have. Your subordinates are not usually trying to be malicious. They are much more likely to be trying to protect you or to not bother you with information they think isn’t important for you to know. You must be proactive about gathering information and keeping tabs on what’s going on.

However…

Don’t micromanage. It isn’t necessary to act on everything you know. Let your subordinate leaders do their jobs.

Have you noticed the so-called reality television shows? In the current “everyone’s equal and everyone’s a winner” culture, have you noticed that some of the most popular shows are ones that tell us no one is equal and only one is a winner? Humans are a competitive race and always will be. Friendly competition can be a great tool for leaders of multiple groups. Just keep it friendly. Everyone likes to feel they’re on a winning team.

In case you aren’t aware, a scientific study has revealed that men and women are different! No kidding. The fact there was a scientific study is really troubling but the fact that this conversation is still going on in leadership forums is even more troubling. If you don’t have women leaders you are probably screwing up. But, if you’re selecting leaders based on gender, you’re definitely screwing up. Good or bad leadership knows no gender. Now, can we get on with life and quit talking about this? (There really was a study. See Time January 20, 1992)

Ignorance is simply a state of not knowing. We’re all ignorant in some subjects. Stupidity is acting on ignorance. Don’t be stupid.

Loyalty is a two way street. Being loyal to your workers is probably harder than it is for them to be loyal to you; unless you’re an ogre. Loyalty to your workers sometimes involves self-sacrifice.

What would you add?

 


Get a whole book of tips and techniques to make you a better leader! Don’t Worry, You Can Do This! What New Supervisors and Managers Need to Know About Leadership.

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May 15 2013

Dealing With Naysayers While Implementing Change

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Dealing With Naysayers While Implementing Change

One of the hardest parts of the change process is dealing with naysayers. No matter how logical an idea might seem to you the leader, someone will not agree and may actively work against you.

How do you deal with that?

Like so many other parts of the leadership equation, much rests on the preliminary work. There are two steps you can take to minimize the problem.

First establish an atmosphere of open communication so that all your people will know that their thoughts and opinions are welcome and appreciated. Second, don’t make all the decisions yourself but encourage a collaborative approach whenever possible.

If you’ve taken these steps, the next part of the process will be easier. When the necessary change is introduced and the naysayers emerge, listen to them. Encourage them to express their concerns. You’ve already established that atmosphere of open communication so they know you are truly interesting in their opinions.

If possible, incorporate their ideas into the change process. If that isn’t possible, at least acknowledge their concerns and ask that the team keep those concerns in mind.

Of course, not everyone will be happy and there will be those who you just can’t turn into an advocate for the actions you must take. With this approach though, you’ll encounter much less resistance and more success.

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May 13 2013

Turn The Ship Around – A Review

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Turn The Ship Around – A Review

The military is a terrific leadership development environment. I firmly believe that our armed forces produce the best leaders of any organization anywhere. That doesn’t mean all military units are blessed with outstanding leadership and unfortunately, the military has its share of leadership failures as well. The beauty of the military system is that even when someone in the leadership chain fails, someone else usually picks up the slack and the mission continues. Turn the Ship Around is the story of one leader who not only picked up the slack, but completely changed his part of the system.

Even in the often unusual world of military service, there is a group that is even more unusual: those that motor around the globe submerged under the oceans. These folks are, as a group, not very talkative about their daily activities and Turn The Ship Around is an enlightening peek into a normally unseen world.

Of course, no big secrets are revealed, but there is information of great value in the book.

L. David Marquet provides us with a look at how good, basic leadership can bring about the fundamental changes necessary to transition an organization from marginally functional to outstanding. In his earliest assignment, Marquet had learned some of those effective leadership fundamentals from an enlightened boss but, as happens to so many budding leaders, his efforts to practice them in subsequent assignments were squashed by less enlightened bosses and a system that was designed to be bureaucratic.

He held on though and finally was in a position to implement the leadership techniques he knew would be more effective. The key to his success was making others accountable for their own actions and areas of responsibility. Marquet did not accept the notion that he should lead and manage every aspect of running the submarine but insisted that his subordinate leaders step up to leadership as well. He describes the techniques he found successful and details ways to implement them.

While Marquet provided the support necessary to help his subordinate leaders grow, the support he received from his boss was critical to his success. His boss allowed him to try a different approach and deviate from common wisdom and long-standing procedures.

Frankly, I haven’t seen a lot of really good leadership books lately so this was a pleasant surprise. In Turn the Ship Around, Marquet provides an excellent manual for good leadership wrapped in an interesting story about life aboard a submarine.

Read this book!

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May 10 2013

Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Leader?

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Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Leader?

Few people have what it takes to be leaders. arms crossed,computers,expressions,leaning,offices,paperwork,people,women,technology,business

Do you believe that? It’s a statement I read recently from a supposed leadership expert. Though I don’t understand the thought process that led to this statement, I suspect he’s in that unfortunately large group of people who think leadership is an innate skill that is bestowed only upon a blessed few. This mistaken view tends to emerge from experience in organizations that pick workers because of technical skill and expect them to magically morph into great leaders with little or no training in or development of the finer points of the art.

When the poor victim fails to measure up, he’s tossed aside like a corpse in a crime movie. The more senior leaders hold a brief and private eulogy stating something like, “He just didn’t have what it takes.”

To be sure, this mode of operation produces leaders. Sometimes it actually produces good leaders, though such success is entirely by accident. More often, the ones who survive this sort of process can be placed in two categories.

One is the middle manager who keeps her head down and doesn’t rock the boat. She does exactly what the boss says with no original thought of her own. Since the boss probably has narcissistic tendencies, she has learned to stroke his ego. This leads to success to a point, but eventually, she’ll become the scapegoat for the boss’s failure and get tossed overboard to feed the sharks.

The other is the leader with the naturally outgoing personality. This person is called the charismatic leader. This leader compensates for ignorance with bluster. He usually has an outgoing, energetic personality and gets his way by cajoling and even bullying subordinates who tolerate him because they have to. The charismatic personality that earned him promotions also protects him from being shark bait; at least for a while. Alas as he moves ever higher up the food chain, he learns that those timid middle managers make great chum and keeps the sharks away from him. He may get away with this for some time, though most likely he’ll fall victim to a larger charismatic leader for whom those middle-managers are only a snack.

Back to the original question. Are there only a few people who really have what it takes to be leaders? In fact, there are few people who do not have what it takes to be successful leaders. The problem is there are too few organizations willing to invest in helping those people develop the capabilities necessary to be good leaders.

It really is an investment, not an expense. Think about the return on that investment if you’re company has capable leaders who have been trained in the necessary skills instead of the clowns I only slightly exaggerated. How much better will the company run when leaders strive to do what’s good for the company rather than having to protect themselves from their own leadership incompetence?

Take a look around. Are you burning up leaders like firewood, or do you understand that there are many who can be good leaders when properly developed?

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