It happens to me all the time. I'm at an event or a company meeting talking about change when someone pulls me aside and says, "Ok, I know what you're saying, but between you and me...do people ever really change?"
Yes Virginia, change is possible. But, only if you can't live without it. Changing yourself, and that's the only real change in the end, is hard work. Most people never do it. The masses arrive on the planet, look around, decide how to get by and spend the rest of their lives doing just that...getting by. I think it's why we're so enamored with celebrity and achievement. We see what someone else has accomplished and think...I could never do that.
So, here's the truth. Change is possible and transforming yourself, your company or your team is possible. But... and there's always a but.... you can't move forward in life while holding onto everything from the past. Something's gotta go. And sometimes, someone's gotta go.
Here are a few things you can start letting go of before the too much more time goes by:
1. Let go of old beliefs that hold you back:
About who you are or who you were supposed to be
About the way life was supposed to be
About needing to know how before you begin
2. Let go of people who hold you back:
People that are negative and critical of your efforts to change
People that want you to stay the same for their sake, not yours
People who have a world view that is antagonistic to yours (keep those people who see the world differently and challenge your thinking...they're helpful)
3. Let go of your fear of the unknown. The first step you take will make some of the unknown, known.
4. Let go of believing you have to do it all by yourself. We are all in this together, especially when we are changing.
Ready? Now, take your first step! In my experience, first steps are always accompanied by fear. At the beginning, the fear is huge. But every time you take a step, the fear lessens. With every milestone you reach, the fear diminishes and you get stronger.
You've made thousands of decisions that have brought you to where you are right now in your life. Are you satisfied? Or do you want more: something else, something different, or the next level? What do you really want? Forget about being practical and rational for a moment and let yourself say it. Let yourself dream it.
If you want your team, your company or your life to be different by say, 2015, you need to start making bold new decisions today. I coach people to take bold steps. I believe you can change! Call me.
Showing posts with label leading change. Show all posts
Showing posts with label leading change. Show all posts
What's Your Role?
If you've been in one of my Leading Change workshops you know that I believe that business change environments dictate the style of leadership you should adopt. Business As Usual is best served by 'Champion' leaders, while Intense Change responds well to a 'Coach approach'. When groups are in Crisis people need a more directive 'Captain' in charge and Business Chaos responds well to the gentle influence of a 'Catalyst' leader.
Traditional leadership models often fall short during intense organizational change. The notion of all the really big decisions being made by the guy or gal at the top, seldom works during business as usual, and research suggests that a clearly articulated 'leader role', shared by people at all levels, seems to work best when the work is intense.
Some interesting ideas about crisis leadership have come from researchers at the US Army Research Institute who wanted to find out which leadership strategies fared best for teams working in "highly dynamic and stressful situations". For ten months they observed the Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore Maryland, a world-renowned urban facility that treats more than 7,000 patients each year with severe, often life-threatening injuries.
The center's trauma teams are made up of three key leadership roles: the top-ranked position, held by the 'Attending' surgeon; the second-ranked 'Fellow' position, followed by the third-ranked 'Admitting' resident, with the players changing from day to day, week to week and month to month. A trauma team's lifetime is short - about 15 to 60 minutes - with individual leaders coming and going while the leadership positions remain rigid, but flexible.
Researchers observed that the team's active leadership role shifted frequently and fluidly among the three individuals. The researchers described what they saw as a, "paradoxical leadership system characterized both by rigid hierarchy and dynamic fluidity." They watched junior members of the triad defer in times of their own uncertainty, and more senior leaders step up, only to step back again when the junior leader could handle the situation. This dance of leadership allowed for minimal errors, shared accountability and critical on-the-spot learning and mentoring.
Could this model work in your company? Could it be that, as companies increasingly rely on interdisciplinary teams, work becomes more dynamic and issues gain complexity, that this decidedly hierarchical yet fluid and flexible model works best? Perhaps this 'tag-team', 'relay-race' approach to leadership is a best practice in the making.
What do you think? I'd love to hear about your leadership roles and how they actually get played out in a crisis.
Traditional leadership models often fall short during intense organizational change. The notion of all the really big decisions being made by the guy or gal at the top, seldom works during business as usual, and research suggests that a clearly articulated 'leader role', shared by people at all levels, seems to work best when the work is intense.
Some interesting ideas about crisis leadership have come from researchers at the US Army Research Institute who wanted to find out which leadership strategies fared best for teams working in "highly dynamic and stressful situations". For ten months they observed the Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore Maryland, a world-renowned urban facility that treats more than 7,000 patients each year with severe, often life-threatening injuries.
The center's trauma teams are made up of three key leadership roles: the top-ranked position, held by the 'Attending' surgeon; the second-ranked 'Fellow' position, followed by the third-ranked 'Admitting' resident, with the players changing from day to day, week to week and month to month. A trauma team's lifetime is short - about 15 to 60 minutes - with individual leaders coming and going while the leadership positions remain rigid, but flexible.
Researchers observed that the team's active leadership role shifted frequently and fluidly among the three individuals. The researchers described what they saw as a, "paradoxical leadership system characterized both by rigid hierarchy and dynamic fluidity." They watched junior members of the triad defer in times of their own uncertainty, and more senior leaders step up, only to step back again when the junior leader could handle the situation. This dance of leadership allowed for minimal errors, shared accountability and critical on-the-spot learning and mentoring.
Could this model work in your company? Could it be that, as companies increasingly rely on interdisciplinary teams, work becomes more dynamic and issues gain complexity, that this decidedly hierarchical yet fluid and flexible model works best? Perhaps this 'tag-team', 'relay-race' approach to leadership is a best practice in the making.
What do you think? I'd love to hear about your leadership roles and how they actually get played out in a crisis.
Back to Work!
As I walked through the woods today, and noticed the trees taking on some color, I felt a bit like the woman in the commercial who see's the first fallen leaf of the season and runs screaming from the sidewalk; you know the one, she just can't cope with the notion that summer is actually coming to an end. Huh...neither can I.
This has been a banner summer for Ontario with temperatures that take you back in time to the beach, or the cottage or wherever you spent your lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. We've had the kind of weather you drift back to as you're standing in a three-foot high snow bank on a downtown Toronto street in January... scraping your windows.
So, as we collectively buy school supplies, put away our shorts and close up the cottage, and prepare to return our noses to the grindstone of real life, I can't help but wonder how the world of business will fare in this 'not quite a recovery' economic climate. How will business owners and their employees walk the line between being both courageous and cautious? How will teams innovate when their instincts may still be telling them to reign in, be careful and keep scanning the skies for signs of, well anything, that might point the way back to business as usual?
In this atmosphere of ambiguity, there is still one thing I know for sure. I know that as employees listen to the 'Big Plans' or 'New Directions' their leaders roll out for their adoption, they will be deciding whether to throw their lot in with the change; they'll be looking for:
Common Ground: People want to know if their leaders really understand them. They want to feel that you appreciate their challenges; and can relate to their situation.
Authenticity: They want to know if you're real; followers want transparency; the stakes are too high today to be kept in the dark. Feeling manipulated by your leader is intolerable when people are being asked to step up or take one for the team.
Love: Yep, love. If people are going to follow you into an uncertain future they want to know you care about them. Employees aren't as impressed with degrees and 'know how' as much as they are with your genuine interest in them and empathy towards them.
Remember, 'If you don't engage people's heads and hearts, you'll loose their hands.'
Need to review your preparedness for leading the changes that this new season of business will bring? Call us. We have assessment change tools and programs designed to help you be the Change Champion that people want to follow.
This has been a banner summer for Ontario with temperatures that take you back in time to the beach, or the cottage or wherever you spent your lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. We've had the kind of weather you drift back to as you're standing in a three-foot high snow bank on a downtown Toronto street in January... scraping your windows.
So, as we collectively buy school supplies, put away our shorts and close up the cottage, and prepare to return our noses to the grindstone of real life, I can't help but wonder how the world of business will fare in this 'not quite a recovery' economic climate. How will business owners and their employees walk the line between being both courageous and cautious? How will teams innovate when their instincts may still be telling them to reign in, be careful and keep scanning the skies for signs of, well anything, that might point the way back to business as usual?
In this atmosphere of ambiguity, there is still one thing I know for sure. I know that as employees listen to the 'Big Plans' or 'New Directions' their leaders roll out for their adoption, they will be deciding whether to throw their lot in with the change; they'll be looking for:
Common Ground: People want to know if their leaders really understand them. They want to feel that you appreciate their challenges; and can relate to their situation.
Authenticity: They want to know if you're real; followers want transparency; the stakes are too high today to be kept in the dark. Feeling manipulated by your leader is intolerable when people are being asked to step up or take one for the team.
Love: Yep, love. If people are going to follow you into an uncertain future they want to know you care about them. Employees aren't as impressed with degrees and 'know how' as much as they are with your genuine interest in them and empathy towards them.
Remember, 'If you don't engage people's heads and hearts, you'll loose their hands.'
Need to review your preparedness for leading the changes that this new season of business will bring? Call us. We have assessment change tools and programs designed to help you be the Change Champion that people want to follow.
Are You the Most Likely to Succeed?
When I was in High School, every year the senior class chose a boy and girl who we thought would be the, 'Most Likely to Succeed'. We cast our votes for who we saw as having the magic combination of characteristics that would ensure career and life success. We were teenagers then and the science behind the voting was imperfect, of course. We selected candidates who were good looking and popular, more often than academically sound or ambitious. I never made the list.... ah, the tragedy!
So, what are the characteristics that make a change effort, Most Likely to Succeed?
When you're working on a project, solving a problem or loosing weight, there's nothing quite like the Big break-through. We're all looking for those dramatic surges of progress, those quantum leaps. We love the energy that comes with a major find, a timely innovation or the discovery of a brand new way of tackling an issue. Yeah...that's the key ingredient - right? Well, not exactly.
Oh, those mammoth advances happen sometimes, and we need to be looking for them and ready when they materialize. But the kind of change that lasts, is mostly the incremental kind. It comes by taking one well-considered step after another, again and again. This is especially true when you're introducing anything completely new to internal or external customers.
Here are some characteristics of innovative ideas most likely to succeed.
Stepped: These are ideas or processes that can be adopted in segments or phases. Users can ease into them, a step at a time. Even better adoption comes when customers or staff can use the new idea, product or process in parallel with what they are already doing.
Trial-able: This is when the idea, process or product can be test-driven on a pilot basis. Customers can see it in action first and incorporate it on a small scale before committing to full enchilada.
Minimal Risk: If it doesn't work, people can return to pre-innovation status. Eventually, of course, you want people to feel like they can't live without it, but in the beginning -at least in theory - it's possible to go back to zero.
Familiar: It looks and feels like things that people already understand and use, so it is not jarring to their systems. It's consistent with other experiences, especially successful ones.
Congruent: It's in line with the future direction of the team or company; it 'fits' with where other efforts are heading anyway. It doesn't require people to rethink their priorities or pathways, even though, of course, it changes things.
Ego Building; Simply put...it makes everyone look good. Enough said.
These key qualifiers leave plenty of room to promote revolutionary ideas under cover of evolutionary change. Remember, to find and grow a market for anything means tucking ideas in close to what users can adopt easily and then leading them to the next phase.
We work on crafting this type of approach in the Leaders Summit If you want to explore just how likely to succeed your change ideas are, give me a call. Maybe I can help you get voted in this year!
So, what are the characteristics that make a change effort, Most Likely to Succeed?
When you're working on a project, solving a problem or loosing weight, there's nothing quite like the Big break-through. We're all looking for those dramatic surges of progress, those quantum leaps. We love the energy that comes with a major find, a timely innovation or the discovery of a brand new way of tackling an issue. Yeah...that's the key ingredient - right? Well, not exactly.
Oh, those mammoth advances happen sometimes, and we need to be looking for them and ready when they materialize. But the kind of change that lasts, is mostly the incremental kind. It comes by taking one well-considered step after another, again and again. This is especially true when you're introducing anything completely new to internal or external customers.
Here are some characteristics of innovative ideas most likely to succeed.
Stepped: These are ideas or processes that can be adopted in segments or phases. Users can ease into them, a step at a time. Even better adoption comes when customers or staff can use the new idea, product or process in parallel with what they are already doing.
Trial-able: This is when the idea, process or product can be test-driven on a pilot basis. Customers can see it in action first and incorporate it on a small scale before committing to full enchilada.
Minimal Risk: If it doesn't work, people can return to pre-innovation status. Eventually, of course, you want people to feel like they can't live without it, but in the beginning -at least in theory - it's possible to go back to zero.
Familiar: It looks and feels like things that people already understand and use, so it is not jarring to their systems. It's consistent with other experiences, especially successful ones.
Congruent: It's in line with the future direction of the team or company; it 'fits' with where other efforts are heading anyway. It doesn't require people to rethink their priorities or pathways, even though, of course, it changes things.
Ego Building; Simply put...it makes everyone look good. Enough said.
These key qualifiers leave plenty of room to promote revolutionary ideas under cover of evolutionary change. Remember, to find and grow a market for anything means tucking ideas in close to what users can adopt easily and then leading them to the next phase.
We work on crafting this type of approach in the Leaders Summit If you want to explore just how likely to succeed your change ideas are, give me a call. Maybe I can help you get voted in this year!
Coaching and Workplace Violence - A Critical Tool in Prevention, and Recovery - By: Mark Joyella, Coaching Commons
What leads workers to resolve conflict on the job with violence?
And where does coaching fit in—in the aftermath of a violent incident—and, perhaps more importantly, months or years beforehand.
“People need help in knowing what to say—when my co-worker says this to me, or acts in that way—what can I do,” says Peggy Grall, a former psychotherapist who now does conflict coaching from her offices in Ontario, Canada.
“I think we can’t overstate the value of being in a relationship with someone like a coach…where we can have the opportunity to reflect on our own behavior, and our responses to other people’s behavior in the workplace,” said Grall.
“My guess is, a lot of the violence in the workplace that you see started off as frustration.”
Click here to read the entire article
And where does coaching fit in—in the aftermath of a violent incident—and, perhaps more importantly, months or years beforehand.
“People need help in knowing what to say—when my co-worker says this to me, or acts in that way—what can I do,” says Peggy Grall, a former psychotherapist who now does conflict coaching from her offices in Ontario, Canada.
“I think we can’t overstate the value of being in a relationship with someone like a coach…where we can have the opportunity to reflect on our own behavior, and our responses to other people’s behavior in the workplace,” said Grall.
“My guess is, a lot of the violence in the workplace that you see started off as frustration.”
Click here to read the entire article
How to Properly Sack Someone - By Rasha Mourtada, The Globe & Mail
Ms. Grall agrees that reputation is something to consider. If you fire without due diligence, “you’ve just sent people out to the marketplace with a really bad feeling about your company.”
Like it or not, in situations where an employee isn’t performing up to par, the onus is on the employer to try to make the situation right – and to make a record of those efforts.
“You need to be able to demonstrate that you have made every effort to get training for that person,” says Ms. Grall.
Clearly documenting attempts to correct poor performance is a non-negotiable step of the process. “I’ve seen situations where the poor performance has gone on and on and then the employer is in a tough situation,” she says. “Everyone may agree this person needs to be let go, but if you haven’t documented then you could be looking at a lawsuit.”
Click here to read the entire article.
Like it or not, in situations where an employee isn’t performing up to par, the onus is on the employer to try to make the situation right – and to make a record of those efforts.
“You need to be able to demonstrate that you have made every effort to get training for that person,” says Ms. Grall.
Clearly documenting attempts to correct poor performance is a non-negotiable step of the process. “I’ve seen situations where the poor performance has gone on and on and then the employer is in a tough situation,” she says. “Everyone may agree this person needs to be let go, but if you haven’t documented then you could be looking at a lawsuit.”
Click here to read the entire article.
Are You Stuck?
I recently returned from the Women President's Organization's Annual Conference in Ft. Lauderdale where I heard some great speakers. As many of you know I'm the Chapter Chair for the WPO in Toronto, and in that capacity I'm privileged to hear the concerns of senior women entrepreneurs on a regular basis. One of the issues for all organizations is overload and burnout of key people.
Keynote speaker, Harvard Business School professor Rebecca Henderson, spoke to us on the subject of organizations being stuck, and how they can get un-stuck. Let me explain. She reported on her research into how organization's chose, manage and succeed/or not, with projects.
She found that organizations, and in particular the senior managers, tend to overestimate their capacity for completing projects. She told of company after company where the list of active projects outnumbered people to lead them. She also commented on a universal phenomenon - that successful people routinely overestimate their capacity. She said that, in her experience, only the 'severely depressed' are accurate when estimating what they can realistically complete. This really rang so true to me.
One of the key elements in assuring success with a change project is to take a hard look at your list of competing projects. Dr. Henderson kept playfully referring to Project #26. Project #26, she said, is characterized by being that project that is:
A good project, worthy of completion
Everyone's favorite
Has been around for a while - keeps getting voted in - but not finished
And, here's the kicker - Project #26 will never get finished.
Why? Because there simply isn't the manpower to bring it home. In fact, if it did get the attention it deserves, it would become the 'overload tipping point' for the team or organization tasked with its completion.
What do you do with project #26? You kill it! That's right. Get everyone involved with it in a room- and come clean. Admit that it's not going to get done. Own up to the fact that it can't get done, and that to keep waving it in front of the poor saps responsible for it just demoralizes them. Just let it go. It'll hurt for a few minutes, and then everyone will release a collective sign of relief and turn their attention, and newfound time and resources, to the rest of the organization's key projects.
Managing capacity is a key ingredient in the success of an organization. When people tackle and finish projects and initiatives, they feel good about themselves; they feel energized and ready to tackle more difficult assignments.
Do your employees (and yourself?) a favor - take stock of the work before you. Be realistic about what will and won't get done this quarter, this year. And be brave enough to say NO to those efforts that will only drag your energy and enthusiasm down, no matter how exciting they may look to you. Sometimes it takes more courage to say no than to keep saying yes to every great idea that comes along. By being diligent about choosing among projects you'll ensure success and keep people engaged and on track.
So, what do you need to say no to?
Keynote speaker, Harvard Business School professor Rebecca Henderson, spoke to us on the subject of organizations being stuck, and how they can get un-stuck. Let me explain. She reported on her research into how organization's chose, manage and succeed/or not, with projects.
She found that organizations, and in particular the senior managers, tend to overestimate their capacity for completing projects. She told of company after company where the list of active projects outnumbered people to lead them. She also commented on a universal phenomenon - that successful people routinely overestimate their capacity. She said that, in her experience, only the 'severely depressed' are accurate when estimating what they can realistically complete. This really rang so true to me.
One of the key elements in assuring success with a change project is to take a hard look at your list of competing projects. Dr. Henderson kept playfully referring to Project #26. Project #26, she said, is characterized by being that project that is:
A good project, worthy of completion
Everyone's favorite
Has been around for a while - keeps getting voted in - but not finished
And, here's the kicker - Project #26 will never get finished.
Why? Because there simply isn't the manpower to bring it home. In fact, if it did get the attention it deserves, it would become the 'overload tipping point' for the team or organization tasked with its completion.
What do you do with project #26? You kill it! That's right. Get everyone involved with it in a room- and come clean. Admit that it's not going to get done. Own up to the fact that it can't get done, and that to keep waving it in front of the poor saps responsible for it just demoralizes them. Just let it go. It'll hurt for a few minutes, and then everyone will release a collective sign of relief and turn their attention, and newfound time and resources, to the rest of the organization's key projects.
Managing capacity is a key ingredient in the success of an organization. When people tackle and finish projects and initiatives, they feel good about themselves; they feel energized and ready to tackle more difficult assignments.
Do your employees (and yourself?) a favor - take stock of the work before you. Be realistic about what will and won't get done this quarter, this year. And be brave enough to say NO to those efforts that will only drag your energy and enthusiasm down, no matter how exciting they may look to you. Sometimes it takes more courage to say no than to keep saying yes to every great idea that comes along. By being diligent about choosing among projects you'll ensure success and keep people engaged and on track.
So, what do you need to say no to?
Are You Stuck?
I recently returned from the Women President's Organization's Annual Conference in Ft. Lauderdale where I heard some great speakers. As many of you know I'm the Chapter Chair for the WPO in Toronto, and in that capacity I'm privileged to hear the concerns of senior women entrepreneurs on a regular basis. One of the issues for all organizations is overload and burnout of key people.
Keynote speaker, Harvard Business School professor Rebecca Henderson, spoke to us on the subject of organizations being stuck, and how they can get un-stuck. Let me explain. She reported on her research into how organization's chose, manage and succeed/or not, with projects.
She found that organizations, and in particular the senior managers, tend to overestimate their capacity for completing projects. She told of company after company where the list of active projects outnumbered people to lead them. She also commented on a universal phenomenon - that successful people routinely overestimate their capacity. She said that, in her experience, only the 'severely depressed' are accurate when estimating what they can realistically complete. This really rang so true to me.
One of the key elements in assuring success with a change project is to take a hard look at your list of competing projects. Dr. Henderson kept playfully referring to Project #26. Project #26, she said, is characterized by being that project that is:
A good project, worthy of completion
Everyone's favorite
Has been around for a while - keeps getting voted in - but not finished
And, here's the kicker - Project #26 will never get finished.
Why? Because there simply isn't the manpower to bring it home. In fact, if it did get the attention it deserves, it would become the 'overload tipping point' for the team or organization tasked with its completion.
What do you do with project #26? You kill it! That's right. Get everyone involved with it in a room- and come clean. Admit that it's not going to get done. Own up to the fact that it can't get done, and that to keep waving it in front of the poor saps responsible for it just demoralizes them. Just let it go. It'll hurt for a few minutes, and then everyone will release a collective sign of relief and turn their attention, and newfound time and resources, to the rest of the organization's key projects.
Managing capacity is a key ingredient in the success of an organization. When people tackle and finish projects and initiatives, they feel good about themselves; they feel energized and ready to tackle more difficult assignments.
Do your employees (and yourself?) a favor - take stock of the work before you. Be realistic about what will and won't get done this quarter, this year. And be brave enough to say NO to those efforts that will only drag your energy and enthusiasm down, no matter how exciting they may look to you. Sometimes it takes more courage to say no than to keep saying yes to every great idea that comes along. By being diligent about choosing among projects you'll ensure success and keep people engaged and on track.
So, what do you need to say no to?
Keynote speaker, Harvard Business School professor Rebecca Henderson, spoke to us on the subject of organizations being stuck, and how they can get un-stuck. Let me explain. She reported on her research into how organization's chose, manage and succeed/or not, with projects.
She found that organizations, and in particular the senior managers, tend to overestimate their capacity for completing projects. She told of company after company where the list of active projects outnumbered people to lead them. She also commented on a universal phenomenon - that successful people routinely overestimate their capacity. She said that, in her experience, only the 'severely depressed' are accurate when estimating what they can realistically complete. This really rang so true to me.
One of the key elements in assuring success with a change project is to take a hard look at your list of competing projects. Dr. Henderson kept playfully referring to Project #26. Project #26, she said, is characterized by being that project that is:
A good project, worthy of completion
Everyone's favorite
Has been around for a while - keeps getting voted in - but not finished
And, here's the kicker - Project #26 will never get finished.
Why? Because there simply isn't the manpower to bring it home. In fact, if it did get the attention it deserves, it would become the 'overload tipping point' for the team or organization tasked with its completion.
What do you do with project #26? You kill it! That's right. Get everyone involved with it in a room- and come clean. Admit that it's not going to get done. Own up to the fact that it can't get done, and that to keep waving it in front of the poor saps responsible for it just demoralizes them. Just let it go. It'll hurt for a few minutes, and then everyone will release a collective sign of relief and turn their attention, and newfound time and resources, to the rest of the organization's key projects.
Managing capacity is a key ingredient in the success of an organization. When people tackle and finish projects and initiatives, they feel good about themselves; they feel energized and ready to tackle more difficult assignments.
Do your employees (and yourself?) a favor - take stock of the work before you. Be realistic about what will and won't get done this quarter, this year. And be brave enough to say NO to those efforts that will only drag your energy and enthusiasm down, no matter how exciting they may look to you. Sometimes it takes more courage to say no than to keep saying yes to every great idea that comes along. By being diligent about choosing among projects you'll ensure success and keep people engaged and on track.
So, what do you need to say no to?
Where's Your CEO Going Today?
I hate reality shows...well, maybe hate's a strong word, but the contrived scenarios, the melodramatic participants and artificial cliff - hangers leave me pining for a good PBS program. But there's a new series in town that I think is fascinating.
Have you seen "Undercover Boss" yet? It's the new CBS reality series where a CEO of a major corporation goes incognito, deep into his company to see what his employee's work lives are really like. The maiden show featured Larry O'Donnell, President and CEO of Waste Management. He pulled shifts on the garbage trucks and hung out with local supervisors, all without them knowing who he really is. The end result of his foray into the lives of the 'little people' left him feeling that, things have gotta change around here. After he reveals who he is, he sets about implementing the changes, he sees the need for, and the show ends with the locals grinning from ear to ear.
Watching the interactions between the CEO and their employees, should raise some interesting questions for the senior leaders among us. Do you know what life is like for your front line employees? When was the last time you spent time with them, or invited them to a planning session or gave them an invitation to give you anonymous feedback and critique? To put a fine point on it - how in touch are you with the day-to-day realities of the workers in your company? And, if it's been a while - or maybe never - that you've made a concerted effort to investigate your employee's working challenges, how can you possibly expect to get those same employees to implement the changes you want?
The key factor in an employee's decision as to whether they will cooperate with the company's change agenda is how attached, appreciated, valued, heard and understood they feel by their immediate supervisor, and how much the company is interested in their working realities associated with the changes. Too often, when there's a change announced, management talks only of the benefits to the company and fails to factor in the 'transition' the employees will have to make in order to accommodate the new routines and processes.
Now, maybe your CEO can't / won't consider going 'undercover' and finding out for him/her self what needs to happen...but could you? Would you be willing to do some version of this with your direct reports? Might you spend a day doing the jobs of your front line employee's? I just wonder how it would affect the way you view their participation, or lack of it, in your grand plans.
Here's a challenge for you leaders out there - close your Outlook, walk out of your office, walk down the corridor and/or drive to one of your company's operational sites and spend a day. Talk to the people, not with your 'title' front and center, but with humility and curiosity. It might just surprise you what you see and hear.
If the thought of this leaves you sweating about how you'd handle the questions and feedback you might get, let me help you. Come join me, and an eager group of managers from several industries, on April 27 & 28 for a two- day coaching immersion experience - the Coaching Clinic. Let me show you how to have powerful conversations that will begin the change within the conversation itself. One of the concepts we teach in the Coaching Clinic is - if in doubt...ask. Make a commitment to begin to ask more questions and see what happens!
Have you seen "Undercover Boss" yet? It's the new CBS reality series where a CEO of a major corporation goes incognito, deep into his company to see what his employee's work lives are really like. The maiden show featured Larry O'Donnell, President and CEO of Waste Management. He pulled shifts on the garbage trucks and hung out with local supervisors, all without them knowing who he really is. The end result of his foray into the lives of the 'little people' left him feeling that, things have gotta change around here. After he reveals who he is, he sets about implementing the changes, he sees the need for, and the show ends with the locals grinning from ear to ear.
Watching the interactions between the CEO and their employees, should raise some interesting questions for the senior leaders among us. Do you know what life is like for your front line employees? When was the last time you spent time with them, or invited them to a planning session or gave them an invitation to give you anonymous feedback and critique? To put a fine point on it - how in touch are you with the day-to-day realities of the workers in your company? And, if it's been a while - or maybe never - that you've made a concerted effort to investigate your employee's working challenges, how can you possibly expect to get those same employees to implement the changes you want?
The key factor in an employee's decision as to whether they will cooperate with the company's change agenda is how attached, appreciated, valued, heard and understood they feel by their immediate supervisor, and how much the company is interested in their working realities associated with the changes. Too often, when there's a change announced, management talks only of the benefits to the company and fails to factor in the 'transition' the employees will have to make in order to accommodate the new routines and processes.
Now, maybe your CEO can't / won't consider going 'undercover' and finding out for him/her self what needs to happen...but could you? Would you be willing to do some version of this with your direct reports? Might you spend a day doing the jobs of your front line employee's? I just wonder how it would affect the way you view their participation, or lack of it, in your grand plans.
Here's a challenge for you leaders out there - close your Outlook, walk out of your office, walk down the corridor and/or drive to one of your company's operational sites and spend a day. Talk to the people, not with your 'title' front and center, but with humility and curiosity. It might just surprise you what you see and hear.
If the thought of this leaves you sweating about how you'd handle the questions and feedback you might get, let me help you. Come join me, and an eager group of managers from several industries, on April 27 & 28 for a two- day coaching immersion experience - the Coaching Clinic. Let me show you how to have powerful conversations that will begin the change within the conversation itself. One of the concepts we teach in the Coaching Clinic is - if in doubt...ask. Make a commitment to begin to ask more questions and see what happens!
Are You Ready for 2010?
You can feel the optimism in the air can't you? Everyone from Bay Street bankers to the Tim Horton's servers seem to feel that 2010 holds a promise for better times. Reading all the predictions for the coming year would be a full time occupation right now. And if you did take the time to listen to the Psychics and pundits, it's a sure bet that some of their ideas will be dead on and some will prove to be wild guesses at best.
One thing is for sure - radical change is in the air. Whole companies, and some industries have all but disappeared from the landscape. Those of us who are still standing are looking hard at doing business in fresh and innovative new ways.
As things get better, we will all need to be different to really capitalize on the momentum a rebounding economy generates. Doing business in a different way requires a fresh look at what your leadership is about and how you exert your influence.
One of my goals for 2010 is to be a richer source of support and information to my clients. Senior leaders tell me that they would love to read more, but aren't sure which books are worth their precious time. If that's how you feel, I've got good news for you!
I love to read and usually have a couple of books on the go all the time. So, I'm going to do the legwork for you (or is it eye work, or maybe brain work...whatever). Each month you will find a new link to my YouTube Channel - Book Bytes where you can view a brief (under two minutes) video of me, sharing with you, one or two key messages from a popular business book. I'll be highlighting the 'change' relevant information in each book so you can learn new ideas without the hassle of reading the whole book yourself. Just to clarify, I don't get any kickbacks from authors for this...it's simply my way of offering more value to you.
So, look to your right - see the button? Now click on it and take a look. Let me know what you think. And if you have suggestions for books that I should read (for you) just send your ideas to me at peggy@peggygrall.com
The world of research and books is fascinating and, along with you, I look forward to discovering new ways of leading change this year.
One thing is for sure - radical change is in the air. Whole companies, and some industries have all but disappeared from the landscape. Those of us who are still standing are looking hard at doing business in fresh and innovative new ways.
As things get better, we will all need to be different to really capitalize on the momentum a rebounding economy generates. Doing business in a different way requires a fresh look at what your leadership is about and how you exert your influence.
One of my goals for 2010 is to be a richer source of support and information to my clients. Senior leaders tell me that they would love to read more, but aren't sure which books are worth their precious time. If that's how you feel, I've got good news for you!
I love to read and usually have a couple of books on the go all the time. So, I'm going to do the legwork for you (or is it eye work, or maybe brain work...whatever). Each month you will find a new link to my YouTube Channel - Book Bytes where you can view a brief (under two minutes) video of me, sharing with you, one or two key messages from a popular business book. I'll be highlighting the 'change' relevant information in each book so you can learn new ideas without the hassle of reading the whole book yourself. Just to clarify, I don't get any kickbacks from authors for this...it's simply my way of offering more value to you.
So, look to your right - see the button? Now click on it and take a look. Let me know what you think. And if you have suggestions for books that I should read (for you) just send your ideas to me at peggy@peggygrall.com
The world of research and books is fascinating and, along with you, I look forward to discovering new ways of leading change this year.
What's In It For Them?
The most common question I'm asked, when I begin working with a company to support their change initiative is, "how do we get people to do what we need them to do?" When the stakes are high and time-lines are tight, answering that question is key to moving any project forward. So, why is it so hard to get people on board, and what can leaders do to help people dig in and support the change?
All organizational change requires individual behavior change. I think people drag their feet and resist engaging in the new behaviors that change requires of them because they can't see the personal benefit of cooperating. They don't get the WIIFM (what's in it for me) and until that question is settled in people's hearts and minds, very little happens.
Now, I'm not saying that we humans aren't capable of altruistic behavior on the job. Most employees are happy to contribute to the United Way campaign or pitch in for an ill team member when necessary. The WIIFM in these instances is easily identified; there's a good feeling attached to helping those in need. What I'm talking about is that committed, sustained behavior change that's required to transform an organization.
Here's the deal - People need incentives to make real change happen. That new outfit for loosing those last 10 pounds, the degree for slogging it through all your classes or a medal for being the first to cross the finish line. Incentives give us energy when we're tired, a boost in morale when we're discouraged and a reason to go on - when we're not sure we can keep going.
Basking Robbins has 31 flavors of ice cream. Do you offer thirty-one different reasons for employees to engage in your change effort? People want different things, and incentives generally fall into five categories:
Power or status activities
· Unique Opportunities
· Recognition
· Compensation
· Opportunities to Pay it Forward
Incenting employees can be as easy as asking them how they see their part in the change, where the jazz is for them, and what reward or pay-off they see for helping their team or department achieve the new goals. If you ask, people will be happy to tell you what's in it for them. Short - sighted leaders sometimes think that the only employee incentive (WIIFM) should be keeping a job. Not enough with today's war for the best talent.
In the spirit of Christmas, I've got a gift for you. Clink on this link Incenting & Rewarding and you can download four pages of possible incentives. You may find some that fit with your culture and change effort. Or maybe the things on my list will spark an idea in your mind, or your employee's minds. I encourage you to get familiar with exactly what's in it for your employees to get on board. Help them find their WIIFM early on in the project - and you'll see a greater degree of engagement all along the way.
Let me know which of the incentives you like best. Better yet, add to my list by posting to my blog.
All organizational change requires individual behavior change. I think people drag their feet and resist engaging in the new behaviors that change requires of them because they can't see the personal benefit of cooperating. They don't get the WIIFM (what's in it for me) and until that question is settled in people's hearts and minds, very little happens.
Now, I'm not saying that we humans aren't capable of altruistic behavior on the job. Most employees are happy to contribute to the United Way campaign or pitch in for an ill team member when necessary. The WIIFM in these instances is easily identified; there's a good feeling attached to helping those in need. What I'm talking about is that committed, sustained behavior change that's required to transform an organization.
Here's the deal - People need incentives to make real change happen. That new outfit for loosing those last 10 pounds, the degree for slogging it through all your classes or a medal for being the first to cross the finish line. Incentives give us energy when we're tired, a boost in morale when we're discouraged and a reason to go on - when we're not sure we can keep going.
Basking Robbins has 31 flavors of ice cream. Do you offer thirty-one different reasons for employees to engage in your change effort? People want different things, and incentives generally fall into five categories:
Power or status activities
· Unique Opportunities
· Recognition
· Compensation
· Opportunities to Pay it Forward
Incenting employees can be as easy as asking them how they see their part in the change, where the jazz is for them, and what reward or pay-off they see for helping their team or department achieve the new goals. If you ask, people will be happy to tell you what's in it for them. Short - sighted leaders sometimes think that the only employee incentive (WIIFM) should be keeping a job. Not enough with today's war for the best talent.
In the spirit of Christmas, I've got a gift for you. Clink on this link Incenting & Rewarding and you can download four pages of possible incentives. You may find some that fit with your culture and change effort. Or maybe the things on my list will spark an idea in your mind, or your employee's minds. I encourage you to get familiar with exactly what's in it for your employees to get on board. Help them find their WIIFM early on in the project - and you'll see a greater degree of engagement all along the way.
Let me know which of the incentives you like best. Better yet, add to my list by posting to my blog.
Are You Hopeful?
I was talking with a colleague this morning and asked how, and what, she was doing in this tough economy. She said she was seeing clients, fulfilling contracts, but mostly, she said, she was spending her time spreading hope.
Ah, the optimists are worth their weight in gold right now, aren't they? There's enough fear and hand wringing around to stuff a stadium and what the world, and our organizations, need now is hope!
The world got a glimpse of what a hopeful leaders looks like last week when Obama (we can just call him Obama now, can't we?) gave his first unofficial, State of the Union Address to a packed house. If you missed his speech, take a listen to what he said in the first three minutes.
"But while our economy may be weakened and our confidence shaken; though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this: We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before. The weight of this crisis will not determine the destiny of this nation. The answers to our problems don't lie beyond our reach...those qualities that have made America the greatest force of progress and prosperity in human history we still possess in ample measure. What is required now is for this country to pull together, confront boldly the challenges we face, and take responsibility for our future once more."
Regardless of your national allegiance or political preferences, this is change leadership at its hopeful best. No one knows exactly how or when recovery will come, not even Obama, but isn't it great to hear someone express optimism that it will? It's inspiring to be around people with a, 'take that hill' response to fear.
So, who's listening to your vision for the future? What's your team, friends and family hearing from you right now? What are you spreading?
There are reasons to be hopeful right now. Here are just a few:
Everything ends: good times end - and so do tough times. It's just a matter of time before the economic and political pendulums begin to swing the other way. Look for it, be ready when it starts - heck, be the first one to move in the other direction. Lead the charge back to sanity from your desk.
You're tougher than you think: the same skills that pulled you through your teenage angst, a previous job loss, your divorce, your parent's health crisis - or the last recession - are still within you. Flex those muscles again. You have what it takes to move beyond your current place - look for it within yourself, own it, call on it now!
Spring is coming: for those of us living in cold climates - the winter is almost over! All those gray landscapes are just about to burst with color. Those icy winds will soon give way to warm breezes, the crocuses are just under the surface ready to leap to our rescue and....YES, like mighty sleeping giants, we will rise again! Kiss your winter thinking good bye and get ready to welcome your spring self!
Hope is what keeps us moving forward. Hope builds confidence and invites people to take a risk and step out. With hope in your heart you can stare down the fiercest of circumstances!
Would it be helpful if you could engender hope in others? How would you, your team or organization benefit if you knew how to engage people to help them find a renewed sense of optimism and the energy that comes with it?
Join us for a two-day learning experience aimed at doing just that.
Ah, the optimists are worth their weight in gold right now, aren't they? There's enough fear and hand wringing around to stuff a stadium and what the world, and our organizations, need now is hope!
The world got a glimpse of what a hopeful leaders looks like last week when Obama (we can just call him Obama now, can't we?) gave his first unofficial, State of the Union Address to a packed house. If you missed his speech, take a listen to what he said in the first three minutes.
"But while our economy may be weakened and our confidence shaken; though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this: We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before. The weight of this crisis will not determine the destiny of this nation. The answers to our problems don't lie beyond our reach...those qualities that have made America the greatest force of progress and prosperity in human history we still possess in ample measure. What is required now is for this country to pull together, confront boldly the challenges we face, and take responsibility for our future once more."
Regardless of your national allegiance or political preferences, this is change leadership at its hopeful best. No one knows exactly how or when recovery will come, not even Obama, but isn't it great to hear someone express optimism that it will? It's inspiring to be around people with a, 'take that hill' response to fear.
So, who's listening to your vision for the future? What's your team, friends and family hearing from you right now? What are you spreading?
There are reasons to be hopeful right now. Here are just a few:
Everything ends: good times end - and so do tough times. It's just a matter of time before the economic and political pendulums begin to swing the other way. Look for it, be ready when it starts - heck, be the first one to move in the other direction. Lead the charge back to sanity from your desk.
You're tougher than you think: the same skills that pulled you through your teenage angst, a previous job loss, your divorce, your parent's health crisis - or the last recession - are still within you. Flex those muscles again. You have what it takes to move beyond your current place - look for it within yourself, own it, call on it now!
Spring is coming: for those of us living in cold climates - the winter is almost over! All those gray landscapes are just about to burst with color. Those icy winds will soon give way to warm breezes, the crocuses are just under the surface ready to leap to our rescue and....YES, like mighty sleeping giants, we will rise again! Kiss your winter thinking good bye and get ready to welcome your spring self!
Hope is what keeps us moving forward. Hope builds confidence and invites people to take a risk and step out. With hope in your heart you can stare down the fiercest of circumstances!
Would it be helpful if you could engender hope in others? How would you, your team or organization benefit if you knew how to engage people to help them find a renewed sense of optimism and the energy that comes with it?
Join us for a two-day learning experience aimed at doing just that.
Are You In?
It's the sign of the times that Starbucks has launched their new Shared Planet Program. They are inviting us all to do our part to realize their goal of 1 million community service hours donated this year. For your pledge of just 4 hours of work they will give you a free cup of coffee. (Want a date square with that?)
It's a noble effort - and a fine marketing campaign for Starbucks. They pose the challenge and then ask the question - are you in?
We're in interesting times in North America and that question begs an answer from all of us. It's a question about commitment; for Starbucks, it's a challenge of putting your sweat-equity where your coffee-lovin mouth is.
Starbuck's definition of 'in' goes something like this; If you want the freebies that we're handing out, you gotta anti-up with a promise of lending your time and talent to saving the planet. Not a bad trade if you ask me. Saving the planet, like an organizational transformation effort, will take everyone's full participation to make it happen.Good for them!
So, let me ask you - what do you do when your company announces a change? Do you go All In?
I've observed an interesting phenomenon in some companies. Soon after the rumours begin to fly about some upcoming, unpleasant change, many of the leaders begin to vanish. They just seem to disappear. They're 'in meetings', taking vacation days, working at home with a perpetual 'out of office' messages on their email. For their staff it appears that they've just 'left the building'. And when you do get a rare glimpse of them, they're sporting that 'don't ask me' look on their faces.
They are anything but all in.
Now it's natural enough for leaders to feel the same fear and worry that their people feel. Natural maybe, but like giggles in church, not helpful to those around them. The vacuum created by the physical and emotional absence of leaders during times of challenge and uncertainty leave people more fearful, more sure that the bad news leaking out through the rumours is bound to get worse.
When fear is high, people need leaders to lead. They need to 'talk to' and 'touch' their leaders more often than usual. They need that calming effect that the presence of a committed leader brings to an uncertain environment.
So, as a leader, what can you do when the task is BIG, you are as scared as the rest?
Be Real - Remember when Dan Rather appeared on the Late Show right after 9/11 and was asked how he was feeling about reporting such a tragedy? He teared up - and his approval ratings skyrocketed. He didn't try to hide his emotions, but shared them instead. Authenticity rocks!
Be Present - Stay visible, walk around, talk to people, ask how they're doing. No one expects you to have all the answers or respond like an emotionless robot. If you don't know what to say in some instances or how to answer a particular question, be honest and say - 'I don't know'. And then do your best to get and share up to date information.
Be Empathetic - Daniel Goleman, author of Primal Leadership has enlightened us all to the power of empathy - that response that says - I see you, I hear you and I get how you're feeling right now. I may not be feeling exactly how you feel, and I may not be able to do much to change your circumstance - but I get what your experience is right now - and I care.
That's what it means to me to go all in during a change effort. It means bringing your whole self to the game. It means focusing on the needs of others and doing your part to keep the effort moving forward.
There's no time like a new year to brush up on your leader skills. Call me if you'd like to experience a coaching program that can help you do just that. And, if you're interested in having your team learn some powerful coaching skills as well ...don't wait. Grab everyone and Go All In!
It's a noble effort - and a fine marketing campaign for Starbucks. They pose the challenge and then ask the question - are you in?
We're in interesting times in North America and that question begs an answer from all of us. It's a question about commitment; for Starbucks, it's a challenge of putting your sweat-equity where your coffee-lovin mouth is.
Starbuck's definition of 'in' goes something like this; If you want the freebies that we're handing out, you gotta anti-up with a promise of lending your time and talent to saving the planet. Not a bad trade if you ask me. Saving the planet, like an organizational transformation effort, will take everyone's full participation to make it happen.Good for them!
So, let me ask you - what do you do when your company announces a change? Do you go All In?
I've observed an interesting phenomenon in some companies. Soon after the rumours begin to fly about some upcoming, unpleasant change, many of the leaders begin to vanish. They just seem to disappear. They're 'in meetings', taking vacation days, working at home with a perpetual 'out of office' messages on their email. For their staff it appears that they've just 'left the building'. And when you do get a rare glimpse of them, they're sporting that 'don't ask me' look on their faces.
They are anything but all in.
Now it's natural enough for leaders to feel the same fear and worry that their people feel. Natural maybe, but like giggles in church, not helpful to those around them. The vacuum created by the physical and emotional absence of leaders during times of challenge and uncertainty leave people more fearful, more sure that the bad news leaking out through the rumours is bound to get worse.
When fear is high, people need leaders to lead. They need to 'talk to' and 'touch' their leaders more often than usual. They need that calming effect that the presence of a committed leader brings to an uncertain environment.
So, as a leader, what can you do when the task is BIG, you are as scared as the rest?
Be Real - Remember when Dan Rather appeared on the Late Show right after 9/11 and was asked how he was feeling about reporting such a tragedy? He teared up - and his approval ratings skyrocketed. He didn't try to hide his emotions, but shared them instead. Authenticity rocks!
Be Present - Stay visible, walk around, talk to people, ask how they're doing. No one expects you to have all the answers or respond like an emotionless robot. If you don't know what to say in some instances or how to answer a particular question, be honest and say - 'I don't know'. And then do your best to get and share up to date information.
Be Empathetic - Daniel Goleman, author of Primal Leadership has enlightened us all to the power of empathy - that response that says - I see you, I hear you and I get how you're feeling right now. I may not be feeling exactly how you feel, and I may not be able to do much to change your circumstance - but I get what your experience is right now - and I care.
That's what it means to me to go all in during a change effort. It means bringing your whole self to the game. It means focusing on the needs of others and doing your part to keep the effort moving forward.
There's no time like a new year to brush up on your leader skills. Call me if you'd like to experience a coaching program that can help you do just that. And, if you're interested in having your team learn some powerful coaching skills as well ...don't wait. Grab everyone and Go All In!
Will Obama Win?
If you're following the American election, and if you're not - how in the world are you avoiding it? Then you know that, at this moment Obama and Mc Cain are locked in a dead heat to the finish line - with Obama in the lead. It's been fascinating to listen to them both talk about the changes they will make if elected.Both are promising sweeping, multi-issue, complex, radical change. Both are handing out assurances for a better life; greater prosperity, increased safety, a revolutionized health care system, bolstered infrastructures and sounder financial markets, and they - so they say - will make it happen. They both guarantee bold - yet compassionate - leadership and, both have 'plans'. Sounds great - doesn't it?
But, beneath the veneer of political boasting lurks the reality of how change actually happens. When one of the contenders finally steps into the White House they will be faced with the sobering truth - change ain't for sissies.
Change happens one conversation at a time and the new President will need a savvy Transition Team of people dedicated to reaching out to the larger group; men and women who see themselves as agents of the change - willing to be the Commander and Chief's eyes and ears on the ground, feeding information back about how the change is really going and make recommendations for course corrections. No man, or woman, is an island and no one person can pull off this magnitude of change alone.
This time next month, the waiting will be over. In the meantime, what are you doing to get your team ready for their changes? Do you have a Transition Team in place? The Leaders Summit is a comprehensive learning program designed to you with the techniques and skills to make good on your promises for transformation.
To activate an entire nation like the US towards change means budgets to analyze - and then slash, wars to retreat from - or finish and literally millions of ordinary people to mobilize. It will require overhauling complex systems, engaging former archenemies and significantly disrupting the day-to-day routine of literally millions of businesses and households. And that's only the process for inside the US boarders - the ripple effect out to the rest of the world will be, well HUGE.
This kind of audacious transformation will require a willingness to cooperate never seen before; it will mean a giving up of values held dear by many who will cling to the status quo, even if the current state of affairs is crumbling. In short, the mammoth change that both men are promising will be an enormous undertaking, requiring the wisdom of Solomon, the patience of Job and - you guessed it - time. Lots of time.
There will be no quick fixes for the US regardless of whom the voters choose. Those of you leading teams and organizations know this. You understand the challenges you face when trying to get a group of people to change - imagine a whole country! Now, both these men believe that this kind of change is doable, but that it will take the commitment of 'every American' to make it happen. Well, not quite. How do you get wholesale commitment from everyone in a change effort? You don't. And, you don't need to.
But what the new President will have to do, just like any other change leader, is gain the support of a key portion of the electorate; a group fiercely committed to seeing the change happen.
But, beneath the veneer of political boasting lurks the reality of how change actually happens. When one of the contenders finally steps into the White House they will be faced with the sobering truth - change ain't for sissies.
Change happens one conversation at a time and the new President will need a savvy Transition Team of people dedicated to reaching out to the larger group; men and women who see themselves as agents of the change - willing to be the Commander and Chief's eyes and ears on the ground, feeding information back about how the change is really going and make recommendations for course corrections. No man, or woman, is an island and no one person can pull off this magnitude of change alone.
This time next month, the waiting will be over. In the meantime, what are you doing to get your team ready for their changes? Do you have a Transition Team in place? The Leaders Summit is a comprehensive learning program designed to you with the techniques and skills to make good on your promises for transformation.
To activate an entire nation like the US towards change means budgets to analyze - and then slash, wars to retreat from - or finish and literally millions of ordinary people to mobilize. It will require overhauling complex systems, engaging former archenemies and significantly disrupting the day-to-day routine of literally millions of businesses and households. And that's only the process for inside the US boarders - the ripple effect out to the rest of the world will be, well HUGE.
This kind of audacious transformation will require a willingness to cooperate never seen before; it will mean a giving up of values held dear by many who will cling to the status quo, even if the current state of affairs is crumbling. In short, the mammoth change that both men are promising will be an enormous undertaking, requiring the wisdom of Solomon, the patience of Job and - you guessed it - time. Lots of time.
There will be no quick fixes for the US regardless of whom the voters choose. Those of you leading teams and organizations know this. You understand the challenges you face when trying to get a group of people to change - imagine a whole country! Now, both these men believe that this kind of change is doable, but that it will take the commitment of 'every American' to make it happen. Well, not quite. How do you get wholesale commitment from everyone in a change effort? You don't. And, you don't need to.
But what the new President will have to do, just like any other change leader, is gain the support of a key portion of the electorate; a group fiercely committed to seeing the change happen.
Is the Sky Falling?
It's been just a few days since US President George 'W' Bush faced cameras and made an impassioned plea for his government to approve a plan to bail Wall Street out of its current financial crisis. The severity and complexity of the mess appears to be unprecedented, the global economic impact uncertain and the emotional toll mounting as Joe Public tries to make sense of it all.
Affected business leaders across all industries are asking themselves, what do I do with this? How will I make good choices, handle my own anxiety, fear and anger over the losses and, how can I lead my people now?
John Holt said it best, "The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we don't know what to do".
Leaders are telling me they feel a bit like the King in the famous children's story Chicken Little. That story opens with Henny-Penny just minding her own business when she's suddenly hit on the head. She doesn't see it coming, doesn't know what it was, has never experienced it before and so concludes that the sky was falling. She runs to tell her friends: Ducky Daddles, Cocky Locky, Goosey Poosey and Turkey Lurkey and they decide that the only rational response to such a catastrophe, is to go tell the King. They get side tracked by Foxy Loxy, outsmart him, escape and finally reach the King. When they inform the King the sky is falling, he looks up, sees that indeed it isn't and tells them everything will be ok, and that they should go back to the barn.
In crisis, or perceived crisis, people want a King like Chicken Little had. People want their leader to tell them it's going to be all right - whether the leader knows it will be or not is irrelevant; they want to hear it anyway.
Inherent within every crisis are both Danger & Opportunity. We don't have to look far to be reminded of the dangers, just tune into CNN; they're trotting them out in graphic detail, every hour on the hour. Near the end of every broadcast they tell viewers, in a variety of ways, to - be afraid, be very afraid. Broadcasters remind us that, after all, this could only be the beginning of the fallout - the worse is surely yet to come.
Riveting television, bad leadership.
During times of uncertainty, leaders need to be realistic about outcomes, and empathetic towards people. They need to talk optimistically about what they do know and sparingly about what they don't know.
And, the opportunities - what about them? They're there - they always are. Tucked in behind the clouds of doom are always little streaks of sunlight; rays of hope, voices that are calm and optimistic. Do you hear them? Are you one of them? Can people count on you for a sensible, thoughtful approach? It's tough - but doable - to remain grounded when the ground is shaking.If you need some help to navigate the changes you're in - call me.
Affected business leaders across all industries are asking themselves, what do I do with this? How will I make good choices, handle my own anxiety, fear and anger over the losses and, how can I lead my people now?
John Holt said it best, "The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we don't know what to do".
Leaders are telling me they feel a bit like the King in the famous children's story Chicken Little. That story opens with Henny-Penny just minding her own business when she's suddenly hit on the head. She doesn't see it coming, doesn't know what it was, has never experienced it before and so concludes that the sky was falling. She runs to tell her friends: Ducky Daddles, Cocky Locky, Goosey Poosey and Turkey Lurkey and they decide that the only rational response to such a catastrophe, is to go tell the King. They get side tracked by Foxy Loxy, outsmart him, escape and finally reach the King. When they inform the King the sky is falling, he looks up, sees that indeed it isn't and tells them everything will be ok, and that they should go back to the barn.
In crisis, or perceived crisis, people want a King like Chicken Little had. People want their leader to tell them it's going to be all right - whether the leader knows it will be or not is irrelevant; they want to hear it anyway.
Inherent within every crisis are both Danger & Opportunity. We don't have to look far to be reminded of the dangers, just tune into CNN; they're trotting them out in graphic detail, every hour on the hour. Near the end of every broadcast they tell viewers, in a variety of ways, to - be afraid, be very afraid. Broadcasters remind us that, after all, this could only be the beginning of the fallout - the worse is surely yet to come.
Riveting television, bad leadership.
During times of uncertainty, leaders need to be realistic about outcomes, and empathetic towards people. They need to talk optimistically about what they do know and sparingly about what they don't know.
And, the opportunities - what about them? They're there - they always are. Tucked in behind the clouds of doom are always little streaks of sunlight; rays of hope, voices that are calm and optimistic. Do you hear them? Are you one of them? Can people count on you for a sensible, thoughtful approach? It's tough - but doable - to remain grounded when the ground is shaking.If you need some help to navigate the changes you're in - call me.
Golf Anyone?
It's summertime and I bet that some of you are golfing more than you're working. I don't golf often, but when I do I'm struck by the similarities between golf and leading change.
The first time I golfed I was nervous because I assumed that everyone on the course would be a good golfer. I figured that, if someone invested hundreds of dollars in clubs and clothes, plunked down a lot of money to play and then went to a public course to do it, that they would probably know what they're doing. Not so.
I soon learned that there are lots of novices like me who have clubs, enjoy the game but .will never be mistaken for Annika Sorenstam. Sadly, the same scenario exists in most organizations; there are lots of leaders involved in change initiatives, but few real Change Champions.
At work or on the golf course, the right tools are key to success. You wouldn't use a driver around the greens, or a putter in the rough. But I see people routinely reaching for their command and control 'club' when a softer, more elegant communication approach is what's called for.
And, speaking of being in the rough, and place I visit often on my way to the flag, getting out of the rough with minimal strokes can, as they say, really separate the men from the boys. Teams in transition will inevitably spend time in the 'rough'; that in-between place where people and processes aren't like they used to be, but aren't yet what they should be. It's a tough spot to be in and, just like the tall grass and trees that make up the rough on a golf course, leaders need finesse to move themselves and their teams through the uncomfortable parts of a change . The rough requires a sound knowledge of: your clubs (options) the terrain (yourself, the objectives and the company's change-readiness) and your tolerance for risk (that seems to be the same in golf or in business).
Another parallel between playing golf and leading change is that the task is never the same twice, no matter how similar it looks at first glance. Even if you play the same course every Saturday morning, each time you step up to a tee - it's a new shot. Today the wind is a factor, last time it wasn't, or the greens are dryer and so landing a shot is harder. Good golfers understand this. At each hole they check to see where the flag is; they know that flags, just like people or processes, can be in a different spot than they were last time they took the same shot
I don't get out on the links or practice much so I'm at about the same skill level I was when I first took up the game. Oh, I've always been able to drive decently enough, but it's my 'short game' that's well, less than it should be. So, I like playing Best Ball. Best Ball is a great way to describe the work of a high-performance transition team. Each player (team member) has skin in the game; that is, they all accept responsibility for the outcome of the game.
When you're in a game of Best Ball, you quickly learn who has the stronger drive, putting or the ability to get out of the sand trap, and a savvy team leans into the strengths of its members. Each player takes their best shot in turn, but they know that their team- mates are there to help out when their individual effort falls short. They share the goal, the pressure to perform and ultimately the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat.
So, how's your game?
Are you someone who people are thrilled to have lead their team?
Need to brush up on your change-leadership skills?
Maybe I can help. Just don't count on me for golf!
The first time I golfed I was nervous because I assumed that everyone on the course would be a good golfer. I figured that, if someone invested hundreds of dollars in clubs and clothes, plunked down a lot of money to play and then went to a public course to do it, that they would probably know what they're doing. Not so.
I soon learned that there are lots of novices like me who have clubs, enjoy the game but .will never be mistaken for Annika Sorenstam. Sadly, the same scenario exists in most organizations; there are lots of leaders involved in change initiatives, but few real Change Champions.
At work or on the golf course, the right tools are key to success. You wouldn't use a driver around the greens, or a putter in the rough. But I see people routinely reaching for their command and control 'club' when a softer, more elegant communication approach is what's called for.
And, speaking of being in the rough, and place I visit often on my way to the flag, getting out of the rough with minimal strokes can, as they say, really separate the men from the boys. Teams in transition will inevitably spend time in the 'rough'; that in-between place where people and processes aren't like they used to be, but aren't yet what they should be. It's a tough spot to be in and, just like the tall grass and trees that make up the rough on a golf course, leaders need finesse to move themselves and their teams through the uncomfortable parts of a change . The rough requires a sound knowledge of: your clubs (options) the terrain (yourself, the objectives and the company's change-readiness) and your tolerance for risk (that seems to be the same in golf or in business).
Another parallel between playing golf and leading change is that the task is never the same twice, no matter how similar it looks at first glance. Even if you play the same course every Saturday morning, each time you step up to a tee - it's a new shot. Today the wind is a factor, last time it wasn't, or the greens are dryer and so landing a shot is harder. Good golfers understand this. At each hole they check to see where the flag is; they know that flags, just like people or processes, can be in a different spot than they were last time they took the same shot
I don't get out on the links or practice much so I'm at about the same skill level I was when I first took up the game. Oh, I've always been able to drive decently enough, but it's my 'short game' that's well, less than it should be. So, I like playing Best Ball. Best Ball is a great way to describe the work of a high-performance transition team. Each player (team member) has skin in the game; that is, they all accept responsibility for the outcome of the game.
When you're in a game of Best Ball, you quickly learn who has the stronger drive, putting or the ability to get out of the sand trap, and a savvy team leans into the strengths of its members. Each player takes their best shot in turn, but they know that their team- mates are there to help out when their individual effort falls short. They share the goal, the pressure to perform and ultimately the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat.
So, how's your game?
Are you someone who people are thrilled to have lead their team?
Need to brush up on your change-leadership skills?
Maybe I can help. Just don't count on me for golf!
Been To Disneyland Lately?
Nobody does customer service better than Disney. Nobody!
I just returned from presenting at a conference on Disney property in Orlando, Florida - and I have a few insights to share.Now, I grew up in Southern California and went to Disneyland a lot. As a kid - it was magical! I remember being wowed by the sights of everything Disney. This year is Disney's 50th Anniversary and their theme for this year is 'the Magical Journey'. From the minute I stepped on to Disney's Magical Express to travel to my hotel, till I waved a final see ya real soon to Mickey, it was... well, still magical.
This time I noticed something I was too young to care about as a kid. I was struck by the 'journey' that they kept telling me I was on. That's what they called it - the Journey the magical journey. When I went to breakfast I was encouraged to enjoy a 'magical meal'. On my way to my workshop room they called after me to have a 'magical meeting' and when I called the front desk to arrange a wake-up call, the soothing voice on the other end, invited me to fall into a 'magical sleep'.
And the Cast Members (what else would you call people who are guiding you through a magical journey) directed, instructed, encouraged and served me every step of my stay. When I got lost, going looking for my themed dinner destination, they took me there. When I needed to check on my flight - they took care of it. It was clear that they knew where I was supposed to be going and I relaxed into their leadership, happy not to have to worry too much about the final destination.
Now, I'm a big girl and I know that the ultimate goal of Disney shareholders is to pry as much of my money away from me as they can. But they get to their goal by lavishly, and unapologetically taking me on a journey that caters to my needs. And that my friends is nothing short of brilliant!
If you've been in a workshop with me you know that I talk a lot about change leaders speaking to the 'me' issues early and creating a 'story' for the change; a descriptive 'picture' of the end goal - the organizational equivalent of Disney's magical journey.
A good goal story:
- Is compelling - it captures your imagination
- Pulls people towards the goal
- Speaks to what your heart desires
- Is told by everyone, all the time
- Is stamped on everything the traveler touches and is related to everything the traveler experiences
So, have you got a story for your next change initiative? No? Better get one quick. Leading change is heart work. Before you leave the station with your team, borrow a page from Mickey and take time to grab their imaginations. If you want help crafting your change story - give me a call.
My telephone number is 905-659-6683.
Super Nanny Saves the Day!
Have you seen "Super Nanny", the popular TV series where a ‘real’ English nanny comes to the rescue of distraught parents?
Week after week the nanny smiles as she enters house after house of screaming children and totally dysfunctional parents. The kids are a mess, and the parents - who are the real mess - have all reached their boiling point. You can just imagine these families dialing 911 out of sheer exhaustion.
It’s Super Nanny to the rescue! She sweeps into the situation, disciplines everyone, organizes workable programs, encourages the parents to become "real parents", and in her no-nonsense way - she puts the house right again.
By the end of the program civility is restored and there is hope that the "spoiled" children and irresponsible parents are now on the path to a more healthy life for everyone. Even the children want the Super Nanny to stay with them as the camera fades away and she drives down the street in her tiny British car.
What’s Super Nanny’s secret? I think its discipline mixed with real attention. Oh, not the paddle and punish type of discipline, but a steady, consistent, firm version of rules, schedules and acceptable behaviour. She sets expectations and then lovingly stands behind them. Simple as that.
Sometimes leading people through change is like raising children. They want boundaries, clear expectations and loving attention from those in charge.
What do you think?
Week after week the nanny smiles as she enters house after house of screaming children and totally dysfunctional parents. The kids are a mess, and the parents - who are the real mess - have all reached their boiling point. You can just imagine these families dialing 911 out of sheer exhaustion.
It’s Super Nanny to the rescue! She sweeps into the situation, disciplines everyone, organizes workable programs, encourages the parents to become "real parents", and in her no-nonsense way - she puts the house right again.
By the end of the program civility is restored and there is hope that the "spoiled" children and irresponsible parents are now on the path to a more healthy life for everyone. Even the children want the Super Nanny to stay with them as the camera fades away and she drives down the street in her tiny British car.
What’s Super Nanny’s secret? I think its discipline mixed with real attention. Oh, not the paddle and punish type of discipline, but a steady, consistent, firm version of rules, schedules and acceptable behaviour. She sets expectations and then lovingly stands behind them. Simple as that.
Sometimes leading people through change is like raising children. They want boundaries, clear expectations and loving attention from those in charge.
What do you think?
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