In the past few weeks, unless you've been living in a cave, you've been witness to the single largest turnover of power the modern world has ever seen. Not since the defeat of Hitler have we witnessed dictators humbled in such dramatic ways. Just ask Zine El Abidine, former President of Tunisia, or Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Ali Abdullah Saieh of Yemen or Muammar Gaddafi of Libya about power. I suspect their answers today might be a far cry from how they would have characterized their power even a few months ago.
Power is an interesting thing. In politics, the workplace and even at home, leaders can hold one of two different kinds of power with their subjects, direct reports or anyone in a lesser position to them. Those in authority can try to exert power over others or they can share power with people. Most of the dictators in North Africa and the Middle East are great examples of men who have maintained power over their people. They rule by fear and their ability to stay in an authoritive position hinges on their military might. Remove their iron grip and the population scatters, looking for another leader.
Companies and teams want powerful leaders, especially during times of intense change. People want a leader with vision, and a demonstrated commitment to that vision, a leader who holds his power because of the respect his people have for not only the position, but also the man. They want a leader with personal power; control over herself and her actions. Most people are looking for a man or women that they can look up to as a role model, someone they can watch demonstrate the values of the organization and not just talk about them.
Most North Americans would chafe against a Middle Eastern style dictator as their country's leader, but there are hundreds of mini-dictators in companies, communities and families all across North America; men and women who behave like tyrants on the job every day. Some of the characteristics of these would-be dictators are:
•A man or women in senior leadership who doesn't know the difference between power and authority. Power is the ability to cause or prevent an action, the ability to make things happen, the discretion to act or not act. Authority is the right to command a situation, commit resources, make decisions, and give directives with an expectation that they be acted upon. It is always accompanied by an equal responsibility for one's actions or failure to act.
•A Manager or Supervisor who doesn't know the difference between discipline and punishment. Discipline is the practice of training first yourself and then others in a particular way of behaving. Punishment is the price or penalty for breaking a rule or agreement made with another party.
•A mother who by-passes her partner when it comes to making important decisions for the children
•A father who lacks insight into his own behaviour and reacts rather than responds to intense situations
What about you? How would your direct reports, or your children, characterize your leadership? Do they see you as a leader who shares power with them, a leader who is adept at discipline and judicious when considering punishment? Do people feel powerful working with you, regardless of your title or position? We are seeing only too clearly what happens to leaders that rule by fear. If you're in a position of authority in your company, church or home...take a moment. Ask yourself, how well am I leading in my role?
Showing posts with label organizational change. Show all posts
Showing posts with label organizational change. Show all posts
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!
The US Presidential elections are heating up. As I write this, Hilary Clinton and Barak Obama are racing towards the Democratic National Convention, neck -n- neck. There is no doubt that this is an historic competition for the hearts and votes of the American public. Most political analysts agree that, in terms of policy at least, there is very little that separates these two Presidential wanna-bees. But, in practical terms... their approach to the race is worlds apart.
Setting politics aside for a moment, I think there are priceless lessons in change leadership being modeled by these orators every night for us on CNN. Washington Post columnist E.J.Dionne Jr. says of Hilary, "she has answers to hard questions, but he (Barack) has the one answer that voters hunger for: He offers himself as the vehicle for creating a new political movement."
Barack Obama speaks of hope, and hope is the one thing that prompts people to believe that change is possible. George Packer spoke of listening to Barack speak to the crowds this way, " Within minutes, I couldn't recall a single thing he had said, and the speech dissolved into pure feeling ...which stayed with me for days." There's something fascinating going on here.
What's happening isn't new. It's been said that when Cicero, the Roman statesman, lawyer, political theorist and philosopher spoke, the crowds declared, "How well he spoke." But when Demosthenes, a prominent Greek statesman and orator of ancient Athens spoke, the crowds exclaimed, 'Let us march!"
How many executive announcements about some company change have you sat through where the content was - the company, blah, blah, blah, or quality and profits, blah, blah, blah? And, how did these factual, structured pronouncements make you feel?
Ok, so what lessons can we take from the drama that's playing out on the world stage? Here's what I see:
Setting politics aside for a moment, I think there are priceless lessons in change leadership being modeled by these orators every night for us on CNN. Washington Post columnist E.J.Dionne Jr. says of Hilary, "she has answers to hard questions, but he (Barack) has the one answer that voters hunger for: He offers himself as the vehicle for creating a new political movement."
Barack Obama speaks of hope, and hope is the one thing that prompts people to believe that change is possible. George Packer spoke of listening to Barack speak to the crowds this way, " Within minutes, I couldn't recall a single thing he had said, and the speech dissolved into pure feeling ...which stayed with me for days." There's something fascinating going on here.
What's happening isn't new. It's been said that when Cicero, the Roman statesman, lawyer, political theorist and philosopher spoke, the crowds declared, "How well he spoke." But when Demosthenes, a prominent Greek statesman and orator of ancient Athens spoke, the crowds exclaimed, 'Let us march!"
How many executive announcements about some company change have you sat through where the content was - the company, blah, blah, blah, or quality and profits, blah, blah, blah? And, how did these factual, structured pronouncements make you feel?
Ok, so what lessons can we take from the drama that's playing out on the world stage? Here's what I see:
- People need substance, but the facts are seldom enough to inspire people to act
- People are hungry for hope - at work and in their personal lives
- You don't have to have all the answers to inspire confidence and propel people to action
- Real engagement is an activity of the heart
Whether the thrill of what's possible will trump a battle cry of, having answers to the tough questions remains to be seen. What we know for sure is that how you communicate is at least as important as what you communicate when it comes to engaging people's hearts and minds.
How are your change communication skills? Are you compelling? Is your message to your family, team or organization filled with hope?
If you want to bring your change communications to the next level, call me; I just might be able to help.
Are You Sure That Will Work?
Have you ever tried to introduce an idea at work only to have your co-workers say things like, 'That won't work here." Or," we tried that in 2004 and it didn't work then - so it isn't going to work now."
Sound familiar? Sure it does. That kind of response is based on, what I believe to be, a faulty premise. At the heart of this kind of thinking is a belief that goes something like this; if you've already tried something and it didn't work, don't bother trying it again. Sounds good, but it's simply not true.
The fallacy of that reasoning was so clearly demonstrated in the 1978 movie Same Time Next Year. The plot involves Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn's characters who meet by chance at a remote, romantic inn during dinner. Although both are married to other people, they end up spending the night together. They are wildly attracted to each other and agree that, although they are married, they will get together on the same weekend each year after that.
Each new scene of the movie opens with them arriving at the inn each successive year, always staying in the same room. They never miss a year, and every few years they seem to take on new personas. One year, Alda's character is buttoned-up corporate; stiff and angry, while Burstyn's character has just gone back to university (in the 60's) and is radical in both fashion and philosophy. A few years later Ellen has started a business and has taken on a touch, 'take-no-prisoners' approach to life. That same year Alda confesses to having gone through personal therapy and has morphed into a softer, more open-minded version of his former self.
Each year they have to adjust and re-acquaint themselves with the 'new' people they've become. They manage to make the adjustments and continue to find enough common ground between them to sustain the relationship for twenty-six years.
It's fascinating to see these two characters come back to the same hotel room, walk the same beach, eat at the same diner and yet be so very different year after year. It speaks to something fundamental about change, that is; the same place, same activities and even the same intent DO NOT equal the same result. Why - because, things change.
Alda and Burstyn's characters changed, they grew; their capacity for love, acceptance, awareness, their tolerance levels, perspectives, family configurations, skills, circumstances and motivators changed from year to year. What they wanted out of life, and their clandestine relationship, changed. All of those shifts contributed to the end result of the weekend being different. At times it was pure lust, on other weekends there were times of deep emotional sharing. One year Alda even delivered Burstyn's baby. I know - Hollywood.
The principle is this; you or your team or organization may have tried something before, but before is not now. You are different, your customer is different, the market has shifted, skill sets have changed and even the will of the people to succeed may be different.
So, don't throw away an idea just because you or others have tried it before. This time, this year may just be the year it works!
Sound familiar? Sure it does. That kind of response is based on, what I believe to be, a faulty premise. At the heart of this kind of thinking is a belief that goes something like this; if you've already tried something and it didn't work, don't bother trying it again. Sounds good, but it's simply not true.
The fallacy of that reasoning was so clearly demonstrated in the 1978 movie Same Time Next Year. The plot involves Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn's characters who meet by chance at a remote, romantic inn during dinner. Although both are married to other people, they end up spending the night together. They are wildly attracted to each other and agree that, although they are married, they will get together on the same weekend each year after that.
Each new scene of the movie opens with them arriving at the inn each successive year, always staying in the same room. They never miss a year, and every few years they seem to take on new personas. One year, Alda's character is buttoned-up corporate; stiff and angry, while Burstyn's character has just gone back to university (in the 60's) and is radical in both fashion and philosophy. A few years later Ellen has started a business and has taken on a touch, 'take-no-prisoners' approach to life. That same year Alda confesses to having gone through personal therapy and has morphed into a softer, more open-minded version of his former self.
Each year they have to adjust and re-acquaint themselves with the 'new' people they've become. They manage to make the adjustments and continue to find enough common ground between them to sustain the relationship for twenty-six years.
It's fascinating to see these two characters come back to the same hotel room, walk the same beach, eat at the same diner and yet be so very different year after year. It speaks to something fundamental about change, that is; the same place, same activities and even the same intent DO NOT equal the same result. Why - because, things change.
Alda and Burstyn's characters changed, they grew; their capacity for love, acceptance, awareness, their tolerance levels, perspectives, family configurations, skills, circumstances and motivators changed from year to year. What they wanted out of life, and their clandestine relationship, changed. All of those shifts contributed to the end result of the weekend being different. At times it was pure lust, on other weekends there were times of deep emotional sharing. One year Alda even delivered Burstyn's baby. I know - Hollywood.
The principle is this; you or your team or organization may have tried something before, but before is not now. You are different, your customer is different, the market has shifted, skill sets have changed and even the will of the people to succeed may be different.
So, don't throw away an idea just because you or others have tried it before. This time, this year may just be the year it works!
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