Lencioni's One Piece of Advice

If you were to give a new team leader one piece of advice what would it be?

(Lencioni)  Take the risk of being vulnerable with the people you lead.  That means, be open about who you are, what your concerns are, what your strengths and weaknesses are.  Be human, and they will trust you.

Lencioni on Poorly Performing Team Members

That depends on whether the person has a true performance problem or a behavioral/values one. Most of what I’m about to say pertains to behavior, though it could also be used, with a little modification, for those who are just not producing.

First piece of advice to a manager: tell the team member he is underperforming. So many times people are not aware of their situation because managers shy away from giving them direct feedback, especially if it’s negative.

If, after direct communication, the situation doesn’t improve, make sure the underperformer knows that you’re willing to make a change to the team—that is, let him go—if things don’t improve. Do it kindly, helpfully, but clearly.

When people know that a leader is willing to make radical changes—like booting someone—they’re more likely to focus on improving. When they think they are indispensable or that the manager would never pull the trigger, they have little incentive to change.

One of three things should happen next. Either the employee will improve, he will leave the organization on his own because he sees that he can’t be successful, or he’ll need to be helped out the door. In most cases, one of the first two situations will happen, and only rarely will a manager have to fire someone.

Finally, throughout this process, communicate with the underperformer with the assumption that he really wants to improve. In most cases, that’s the reality. Doubting someone’s intentions only increases the likelihood that he won’t see the possibility of success.

Lencioni on Teams

Patrick Lencioni interview: Question, "Why are so many teams dysfunctional?"

In spite of the proliferation of teams, real teamwork remains elusive in most organizations. Teams fall victim to dysfunction because they are made up of human beings, and we are inherently messy, fallible creatures.

Unless a leader gives people a reason to do otherwise, we tend to look out for our own best interests, and not necessarily those of the team. Teams will never be easy because of this.
Add the fact that managers and leaders often leave team issues untreated, hoping they will work themselves out without any heavy lifting, and you’ve got a recipe for dysfunction.

BTW...What's My Job?

There's not many things more frustrating for any employee than to not know the expectations of the job or role function. What type of clarification is needed? No matter the type of job there are some important aspects to consider:

The specific tasks and how to perform them with excellence. Making sure you know how and where to aim your efforts.

The decision-making authority with the job. Every job has some type of empowerment granted and it's essential to be clear what it is.

The personal accountability of the employee. Having a desire to know how to judge your success as well as know how your superiors will hold you accountable.

The reporting requirements and how they are communicated. A desire to be taught how and what to report to your supervisor in a manner which will enhance your personal and the company values.

Clear Priorities

Because of the fast pace of change and transition our work environments will confront us regularly with new pressure points. Your company changing priorities or emphasis will give you opportunity to integrate into those shifting priorities. It is more important than ever at these times to be clear about your personal mission and how to deal with the changes according to your clear role descriptions and unique strengths.

These times don't call for a fire-fighting mentality but intentional pro-active decisions on the most meaningful tasks at hand. It is essential to carefully plan and a commit to doing the "most important" tasks that build the future along with discerning the tasks which are truly the most urgent.

Attitude Matters

Keeping a positive attitude is important no matter role you may have at work. However, the more people you lead, the more essential it is that you give close attention to your attitude.

In fact, the attitude of a manager or supervisor will be a major factor in determining what the climate is within your work group or team. Actually, your attitude is the only thing that is totally under your control.

Positive attitude is not a giddy, fake, or glib approach to work. You don't have to be Pollyanna, or ignore the reality of situations. Rather it is the intentional effort to be positive, upbeat and look for the best in people and situations. There are enough challenges in each day to aggravate, confuse and be the stimulus for stress. The gift you bring to others is emotional resilience.

Applying Boundaries to Business

I've been lax on blogging in the last few days as we have spent significant time preparing for some large events and the management team is concentrating on putting our learning about boundaries to work...literally.

We are learning that you can't create and maintain boundaries without generating some type of conflict: whether overt or covert conflict. Albert Einstein said, "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." We are finding that few conflict ever just work themselves out - they just won't go away. Ignoring conflicts are lethal. The longer they fester the more likely they are to drain energy from more than just the parties involved.

What's the lesson? Resolve conflicts quickly. The old adage is true, "Never leave a nail sticking up where you find it." The speed in which the culture of the business addresses conflict will be the speed by which the business cultivates a healthy culture.

What Role Do I Play?

From: Working With You is Killing Me: Freeing Yourself from Emotional Traps at Work

Continuing the learning: Before you can Unhook from a specific role at work, you must be able to identify what role you are playing.

Hero: takes pride in solving problems
:: Do I have to solve all problems?

Caretakers: makes people feel comfortable and safe
:: Do I have get so personally involved?

Rebel: question systems and methods
:: Can I practice impulse control?

Martyr: sacrifice time and energy for the company
:: How can manage my work load?

Entertainer: knows how to find humor in situations
:: Do I want popularity or respect?

Peacemaker: dislike confrontations and unpleasant interactions
:: How can I be honest?

Invisible One: Quiet and reserved
:: How do clearly state my ideas?

Where to Set Boundaries (2 of 2)

From: Working With You is Killing Me: Freeing Yourself from Emotional Traps at Work

Continuing the learning:

Personal Information: Some people like to “tell all” while others keep personal information closer to “the vest.” The question is, “How much information is really enough to share? Does it determine whom I am with?”

Emotional Expression: Some people wear their emotions on their sleeve and vent regularly while others disguise it. The question is, “How important is it for me to be a person who is emotionally more on an even keel?”

Manners/Courtesy: Some people view personal greetings as a waste of time while others communicate them regularly. The question is, “What does being cordial mean to me? How do I want to treat others?”

Noise: Some people are comfortable with a noisy environment while others feel a bit assaulted by sounds. The question is, “How aware am I of my environment and how I affect others?”

Where to Set Boundaries (1 of 2)

From: Working With You is Killing Me: Freeing Yourself from Emotional Traps at Work

Continuing the learning:

Time Boundaries: Some people schedule their lives by time while others see time as a suggestion - for instance, the meeting at 10 am can begin anytime between 10 am and 10:30 am. The question is, "What is my relationship to time? How do I honor time boundaries?"

Personal Space: Some people are more distant while others want a form of communal living. The question is, "How clear am I about my personal space? How can I communicate that to others while honoring their space?"

Keeping Your Word: Some people live by the motto "you're only as good as your word," while others see verbal commitments as fluid. The question is, "How do I feel about being honest and living up to any commitment I make?"

Setting Boundaries

From: Working With You is Killing Me: Freeing Yourself from Emotional Traps at Work

Continuing the learning:

Boundaries are lines or parameters that define territory and protect its inhabitants.
Interpersonal Boundaries are the lines or parameters that define and protect the physical, emotional, and psychological territory between individuals.

:: They are invisible and they are different from person to person.
:: Because they are imperceptible to the human eye and differ from person to person they must be communicated

The challenge is not to miss the last concept. Boundaries must be communicated. They cannot be assumed. One cannot just hope that somehow they would be absorbed by osmosis. They must be communicated in order to be a boundary that is understood by both parties.

The Concept of Unhooking

From: Working With You is Killing Me: Freeing Yourself from Emotional Traps at Work

PREMISE: If you change your reaction you can change your life.

Four essential steps to unhooking:

Unhook physically: Healthy ways of physically releasing negativity – Breath deeply, release anger; making the choice to return/engage

Unhook mentally: Looking at a difficult situation from a fresh perspective (internal version of talking yourself down from the ledge) – Take a moment to view circumstances objectively and find practical options

Unhook verbally: Focusing on your overall goal rather than stuck in the petty details – Get agreement on facts and seek resolution; avoiding the need to be right

Unhook with a business tool: Depersonalize challenging situations by providing objective ways to deal with reality - State positively what you will do going forward, develop a system, measure performance, write memo, email, etc.

Change Your Reaction

I was getting ready to check out at Barnes and Noble recently after a long stint of reading and noticed this book on the discount table: Working With You is Killing Me: Freeing Yourself from Emotional Traps at Work. Since picking it up I've not only been intrigued by it, but am also using it as a teaching tool for my weekly manager's training sessions.

“Scratch the rational surface of any company and you uncover a hotbed of emotions: people feeling anxious about performance, angry with coworkers, and misunderstood by management You find leaders who are burned out and assistants who are buried in resentment…These individuals feel trapped by their circumstances, stuck in a losing game. They’re unable to free themselves from a bad situation…They think their options are to suck it up or quit…We call the experience of being caught in an emotionally distressing situation at work as being hooked…There is a way out. You don’t necessarily kill anyone or quit your job.”

What’s the answer? If you change your reaction you can change your life.

They call the activity of changing your reaction to emotionally upsetting circumstances at work as unhooking.

More Than Loyalty

It's always a plus to have people "in your corner." They will often speak well of you, defend you and be loyal to you. How is that cultivated in the work place?

Stephen Covey in a Fast Company article says that begins by not bad-mouthing your boss.

"Be loyal to people in their absence. Then, watch how others begin having more faith and confidence in you, because they know that you won't be talking about them behind their backs."

Lessons from Bill Gates

Bill Gates, in Business @ the Speed of Thought, shares four lesson worth considering:

1. Take two "retreats" every year by leaving the office. On retreat you can recalibrate to your personal mission and values, evaluate your role fulfillment, align yourself to your goals, etc. While an extended retreat in an exotic location would be nice, there are many creative and inexpensive ways to "leave the office" (even for a short time).

2. Read books on topics that don't pertain to your business or industry. It's a great way to maintain a broad and healthy perspective.

3. Identify problems early by tracking "exceptions" to the norm. So often, we simply work under the premise of "business as usual" without clearly evaluating the state of business. It's worth taking the time to look.

4. Stop at the end of each day to analyze how well you used the time that day. So much of the day can be wasted by the "tyranny of the urgent" instead of that which is truly important and urgent.

Being a Change Agent

I have learned that systems are an essential part of a successful business. In the midst of executing the systems, it might be easy to fall into the mental trap of thinking everything is "business as usual." Yet, whether you find yourself fulfilling a task outlined in the Systems Manual or fixing an emergency problem, the best approach to take is that of being ready and willing to manage change.

Success in any environment requires flexibility and adaptability. There will be new developments, human systems advancements or challenges all of which will call for new behavioral responses. What matters is how we handle the change process itself.

Is the remedy to brace yourself for change? No...you'll never be fully ready. The answer lies in loosening up and rolling with the flow. Flexibility is an important key to being a good change agent.

Anger...Digging a Little Deeper

Let's continue the theme of anger. Besides hatred (another in-your-face form) there are other common and more subtle forms of negativity: impatience, irritation, nervousness and being "fed up" - background unhappinesses. Eckart Tolle in A New Earth, could be onto something, "Whenever you are in a negative state, there is something in you that wants the negativity, that perceives it as pleasurable, or that believes it will get you what you want."

That begs the personal development action of "noticing." We can choose to be aware of the negativity in us or brewing in us. Awareness is an important part of our personal development. It takes an intentional alertness and a willingness to truly notice what is going on inside of us and around us. It is at those critical moments that we need not see this as failure, but as real victory. We have noticed what limits us and holds us back. This is the first step toward living free.

What to do with anger?

In a recent manager's meeting we were talking about the role of anger in our personal and professional lives. Actually, it began with talking about frustration, which I've been taught as being attached to the core emotion of anger. That raised questions like: Is it okay to be angry? What do I do with my anger? Is anger always bad? Someone had done some personal development exercises about anger/frustration and shared the following quote about using them to one's advantage:

"Use anger/frustration to your advantage by channeling it to motivate you and focus even more on the task at hand. Too many people turn anger inwards and destroy themselves rather than taking advantage of it."

Law of Attraction

I've been reminded again recently how important it is to make choices to remain positive in the midst of negativity and toxic attitudes.

The Law of Attraction is simple: like attracts like. The more you create the vibration – mental and emotional states – of already having something, the faster you attract to it. (Jack Canfield in The Success Principles calls this the, “The immutable law of the universe and critical to accelerating the rate of success.”)

It's been obvious around work that people attract more of whatever feelings they are experiencing: being negative, angry, unforgiving about past hurts ensures attracting more of the same. Yet, when you are in a state of appreciation and gratitude, you are in a state of abundance.

Personal Trainer for the Soul

When I talk with people about coaching I sometimes get a quizzical look. It is common to have a coach in athletics, no matter if the sport is a team or individual sport. A Personal Coach is a person who helps people live life fully. It may mean facing challenging obstacles that need to be overcome. It may mean envisioning the potential of a person's one and only life. It may mean gaining clarity to live from a deeper place of conviction. Cheryl Richardson, herself a Life Coach and author of Take Time for Your Life, refers to the role as a "personal trainer for the soul."

Coaching isn't therapy - which is about processing emotional history or diagnosing and treating mental health issues. Coaching is what Richardson calls, "action oriented, with a focus on a client's current life and plans for the future."

How could a personal coach help train your soul?

What Lies Within

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." Ralph Waldo Emerson.

It takes intentional effort to commit to the process of finding what lies within. The tyranny of the urgent will be those things which we perceive as more important and more urgent. In reality they attempt to steal from that which is truly important...what lies within us.

Being a Student and a Teacher

Kids tease other kids about being a know-it-all. As they grow up the sentiment doesn't change much. While we like to seek opinions from experts in individual fields, it still holds true that know-it-alls aren't all that respected. Leaders are in the unique position of influence and carry the important role of being perceived as a constant learner.

Jack Kahl, Manco, Inc. and author of Leading from the Heart writes, "The essence of real leadership is to allow your people to see your need and desire for learning. Your actions speak more than your words. Today's leaders must be students of change first, before they become teacers of change to others."

Going Deeper for Clarity

This week Oprah hosted a show about going beytond The Secret. One of her three guests was Cheryl Richardson, a Life Coach and author. In her most recent book The Unmistakable Touch of Grace, she writes the following paragraph:

"As someone who has dedicated her life to helping people honor their values and most treasured priorities, it's clear to me the answer to living a genuine, soul-directed life is not just about practicing time management techniques or self-care strategies. While these tools are important, as long as we look for solutions in the outer world to calm our fears and anxieties, or to alleviate our loneliness, we'll always be disappointed. Instead, we need to go deeper. We must embrace what great spiritual teachers have known all along — freedom from suffering and true happiness are found in the connection we share with a power greater than us all."

The DNA of Good Decisions

Jim Collins is widely known for his best-selling book, Good to Great. As a professor and researcher he provides some great insight into making decisions.

Great decisions come from saying, "I don't know." Collins, "Which is best? Saying you don't know when you've already make up your mind? Or presuming to know when you don't and, therefore, lying to yourself? Or speaking the truth, which is: 'I don't yet know?'"

The higher the question/statements ratio, the better. Leaders need to learn how to ignite debate by using Socratic questions (welcoming others to push back and creating an environment where they want to really understand.)

Deciding is not about consensus. Debate is good and often has conflict but in the end the leader makes the call. Collins, "No major decision we've studied was ever taken at a point of unanimous agreement."

Great decisions come from external awareness. What would it take to make organizations externally aware?

Even huge decisions decide only a tiny fraction of the outcome. Collins, "They're more like six of 100 points. And there's a whole bunch of others that are like 0.6 or 0.006."

Think long term. Real leaders manage for the quarter-century.

You can make mistakes-even big ones-and prevail. That's a relief!

(Adapted from "Jim Collins on Tough Calls" Fortune)

One-Minute Ideas

The Motivational Manager (Sample Issue) offers a special section called "One-Minute IDEAS." Here's the tag-line:

Ask Your Staff to Write Personal Mission Statements

"Many companies have mission statements - documents where the goals of the company are outlined, as well as the means by which it hopes to achieve them. Why not have individual employees write mission statements of their own? Ask them write out a paragraph describing their professional ambitions and goals. It's a good way to find out where your employees want to go, and how they plan to get there."

What Makes a Good Leader?

I just read an article from Executive Leadership by Air Force Reserve Maj. Gen. William A. Cohen , a professor of leadership at California State University. He lists eight (8) characteristics that set apart good leaders from great leaders:

1. Maintain absolute integrity
2. Know your stuff.
3. Declare your vision.
4. Show uncommon commitment.
5. Expect positive results.
6. Take care of your people.
7. Put duty before self.
8. Stand out in front.

Of particular interest to me was #3, Declare your vision. He expands on this, "In fewer than 25 words, can you recite to yourself how your organization makes money and where you plan to be in five years."

I would add, Can you recite your Personal Mission Statement in fewer than 25 words?

Missional Clarity

Today I spent the day on the East Side of Detroit with five clients finishing up the second session of the process of MissionBuilder: including clarifying their values, affirming their strengths (according to StrengthsFinder) and then helping them craft their Personal Mission Statement. It was very satisfying as I watched the body language and listened to each person articulate the thrill of having completed the process and now having words to describe their inner call.

Another client, who completed the MissionBuilder months ago shared with me how he now has a process which allows him to check himself as he seeks to align himself with his mission and core values. I'm most grateful.

Guided by a Compass or Clock

There's a gap between the compass and the clock - between what is deeply important to us and the way we spend our time. - Stephen Covey

It's a simple analogy, but very powerful: compass and clock. A compass will help us find truth north and in so doing, keep us focused on what is truly important. A clock simply measures passing moments. It doesn't direct us to the future or evaluate our past. It simple measures.

A compass is the real direction finder. What is our compass? It can be discovered and articulated in a Personal Mission Statement.

Buying Into a Personal Mission Statement

Over the years I've watched employees at all levels react to the company's Mission Statement. It's no secret that buying into a Mission Statement depends on the employees level of commitment to the company. Why aren't Mission Statements taken seriously?

In his book, First Things First, Stephen Covey points out that mission statements are often not taken seriously in organizations because they are developed by top executives, and there’s no buy-in at the lower levels.

What about Personal Mission Statements? The level of buy-in ramps it up exponentially. It offers individuals the opportunity to establish what is truly important and then to subsequently align their life according to it.

Covey refers to crafting a mission statement as "connecting with your own unique purpose and the profound satisfaction that comes in fulfilling it."

A "Changeless" Core

The key to the ability to change is a changeless sense of who you are, what you are about and what you value. -Stephen R. Covey

It is a challenging a task to live from a changeless sense of who you are. It takes the courage to examine what is important to you, what shapes your value system, and then even more courage to regularly take regular ruthless inventories of your priorities to see if they match with your changeless core. The writing of a Personal Mission Statement is an integral part of this commitment.

Welcome!

Happy New Year...2008! I've been blogging personally for years. With the coming of a new year I've decided to begin something new; like blogging for my business. Whatif Enterprises is my expression of serving people by helping them finding missional clarity and to help work groups and teams develop a healthy culture.

I spent the last four months developing the process of helping individuals write a Personal Mission Statement. It's been a real blessing so far and I look forward to the future.