Archive for the ‘Team Development’ Category

Leadership – Pay Now or Pay Later?

Thursday, September 8th, 2011

Last month the NCAA announced a major investigation into the alleged corrupt activity involving a booster and football players at the University of Miami. If the allegations prove to be true, it will result in major sanctions, including the possible “death penalty” of the program.

The irony of this situation is that the investigation had begun prior to the university’s search for a new head coach. The problem is that the school leadership chose not to divulge these circumstances until after the coach was hired. The young coach selected to run Miami’s program was highly sought after by other schools. Miami leaders feared that they would lose him if they told him the truth. Imagine his surprise when he learned that he was inheriting a team that would have at least eight players declared ineligible, including its starting quarterback. How would you feel if you just uprooted your family, turned down other select opportunities and made a career decision based upon a presentation of deception?

Unfortunately such behavior is not uncommon among leaders. When the fear of loss overshadows the depth of our non-negotiable values, bad decisions nearly always occur. Leaders face challenges, large and small, everyday wherein trade-offs must be made. When our values are at stake a price most always is paid for their protection…sometimes foregoing short-term gains as a result.

Miami chose to protect its integrity (masking its infidelities) as the risk of losing a talented coach was too steep a short-term price. In their desperation to avoid exposing their transgressions, they placed themselves in a painful situation of not only “paying now” but also “paying later.”

We know that leaders who violate their personal values and those of their respective organizations are facing either: 1.) financial uncertainty or, 2.) disapproval / rejection. Sadly, we have observed many leaders override their long-term values to protect short-term returns. When values are violated, leaders pay the price by losing credibility with their employees and passion in the ranks who witnessed their leaders’ attempts to short-cut success. You can be sure the loss of leader credibility, combined with the loss of employee passion, always impacts the bottom line.

Miami chose to violate the values of honesty and transparency. After the scandal broke, the young coach stated that he would have taken the position if the school leaders had told him the truth. He would have respected them even more for their honesty. The rattled coach is now left feeling betrayed and wondering if his employers can be trusted. As leaders we are challenged every day to uphold our values and risk short-term loss or sell out our values for immediate reward. There is always a price, either way. Either way, we pay! The question is, do you want to pay now or pay later?

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Embracing Failure is one Key to a Healthy Culture

Thursday, August 25th, 2011

Hank Aaron, one of the greatest home run hitters of all time, hated striking out. During a recent interview he talked of a game early in his career when he struck out three times.

“That was the most embarrassing feeling in the world,” Aaron said. “I faced Sam Jones and he struck me out three times. After the game I met Jones for dinner and told him, ‘You’ll never have that opportunity against me again.’”

And he never did. One time later when Aaron’s Milwaukee Braves faced Jones, Jones struck out nine batters. He struck out everyone in the lineup except Aaron.

Despite his admission of hating to fail, Aaron had, and still has, a very healthy understanding of it. During another interview he said, “I have always felt that although someone may defeat me, and I strike out in a ball game, the pitcher on that particular day was the best player. But I know when I see him again, I’m going to be ready for his curve ball. Failure is a part of success. But failure will never stand in the way of success if you learn from it.”

Aaron is right. There is a direct connection between failure and success. Businesses with healthy cultures understand this and even embrace it. They create a culture where people feel safe in taking risks.

Apple is a great example of this. After all, the fundamentals of every computer are basically same. Every computer has a keyboard, a monitor and a hard drive. Yet since August 2006 (through August 22, 2011) Apple’s stock price is up nearly 500 percent. Why have they been so successful while other computer companies have sputtered?

One major reason is their appetite for healthy risk taking. If their employees strike out trying something innovative, their leaders do not reprimand them. They applaud them for their efforts. Apple has fostered an environment that they know will sometimes result in failure. But they also know if they encourage a home run swing, their employees will also connect. And when they do, they will likely hit a home run.

Companies with healthy cultures all exhibit the same basic characteristics. Their leaders:

  1. Applaud people for trying, even when they fail
  2. Provide a sense of respect
  3. Value their employees
  4. Ask for input
  5. Encourage development and self actualization
  6. Treat people how they would want their children treated

What does your company do when someone strikes out? Do you send them to the bench? Or do you put them right back in the game, and tell them to continue swinging for the fences?

A winning culture is a culture that recognizes the value of praise, even when the outcome is not a success. To hear more about creating a culture that’s not afraid of failure, please give us a call or leave a comment. I’d also love to hear how you’re creating healthy and winning cultures in your organization.

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Are You Working In The Dark

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

Fluorescent lights illuminate my garage.  One of the “two bulb” fixtures was flickering and the faulty bulb replaced.  After the new bulb was installed, I noticed the remaining “non-flickering” bulb was quite a bit dimmer than the new bulb installed alongside of it.

Prior to the replacement of its “flickering” partner, I had no idea anything was wrong with the light bulb now in question.  However, when paired against fresh competition, it was obvious that over time the light bulb had lost much of its effectiveness.

The ongoing effectiveness of leadership teams can be compared to the light bulb I’ve described above.  Leadership teams can get into a fixed pattern of doing things, of tackling problems and issues and of devising solutions.  Without realizing it, the teams can fall into a gradual rut without even realizing it is happening.  Left to its own, the team can “dim” over time.  Nobody notices at first because the team is still working as hard as ever, still diligent in guiding the organization.

Realistically, every team dims over time.  If two or more of the following characteristics exist, it is likely the team’s effectiveness has been significantly compromised.  Excellent team leaders recognize this as a given reality of team dynamics and implement systematic processes to combat the lethargy.

10 Signs of a “Dimmed” Team
1.  Working with the team is not as invigorating.  A sense of boredom
 and routine has set in.  It is just not as fun as it used to be.
2.  Team members have developed various camps within the team as
synergy has given way to political maneuvering.
3.  The team has become an isolated reservoir.  Ideas are flowing into the
team, but the team is not invigorating the rest of the organization.  It
concentrates on being crisis control central instead of providing a
sense of hope, stimulation and empowerment for others.
4.  Teammates jockey for power and influence as turf protection wars
are common.
5.  Unresolved conflicts and tensions between teammates affect trust
and openness.
6.  Expertise from persons outside of the team or organization are
resisted, viewed cynically or even are attacked as it may reflect
upon them critically.
7.  Email wars are common instead of healthy, direct conflict resolution.
8.  Persons within the team are concerned about getting credit
for successes.
9.  Team members are primarily concerned about their own
agendas instead of prescribing what is best for the overall
success of the organization.
10. Sacred cow personalities or issues exist.  Fear of conflict or
retribution persists over a commitment of principle-based decisions.

Please consider these questions as you evaluate your positioning:

Do you regularly introduce your team to innovative books, articles and journals on relevant leadership topics?  Does your team conduct a thorough examination of company needs, challenges, goals and initiatives at least every two years?  Are outside coaches and resources utilized to stimulate new thinking and growth for individual team members?  Are cutting edge leadership development processes regularly utilized by your team?

An interesting finding…the strongest teams are committed to processes that strengthen the team in a continuous, ongoing fashion.  Ironically, the “dimmest” teams routinely view such efforts as superfluous.  Such teams are typically focused on yet another problem, justifying that time does not permit them the “luxury” of investing in their team’s growth.

In determining whether it is timely to invest in efforts to “brighten” your team, which of the following comparisons best describes your leadership team?

A flickering bulb
A steady floodlight
A lighthouse beacon
A small nightlight
A bulb that won’t work

If you don’t know which of the above comparison best applies to your team, ask those in the organization outside of the team.  I have a strong suspicion they already know the answer.

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Kindness, An Essential of Leadership

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

In a conversation with a Phoenix civic leader, we shared mental notes regarding a mutual acquaintance regarded as a key leader among Arizona CEO’s. Our notes were dissimilar.

Experiencing him completely within a personal context, she regarded him as warm, kind and intuitive. My encounters with this gentleman, however, revealed another side, characterized as arrogant, abrupt and distant. Noting I appeared to have met the “dark side” of Mr. X, she replied, “I have never met that side of Mr. X but, I am under the impression there are two sides to Mr. X, his private self and his leadership self”. She then offered an explanation, “When at home or in a social setting he is a wonderful man, but when he leaves for work, he puts on his armor!”

Mr. X appears to subscribe to a common fallacy within leader circles. To be kind, real and vulnerable (in another word, human) is a sign of weakness, not strength. Leaders must not be transparent but rather keep their guard up at all times. This notion could not be further from the truth. In fact, a lack of kindness in a leader actually sabotages a leader’s effectiveness. Being rude, arrogant and guarded as a leader pushes people away from us as opposed to attracting people to us. It is impossible to lead others who are moving away from us.

Abraham Maslow, one of the fathers of modern psychology, noted people are most effective in reaching their potential when their internal basic needs are met. One of the basic needs after air, nourishment and shelter, is the need for emotional safety. Simply, this means all of us have an undeniable need to be affirmed, valued, appreciated and respected. Any leadership behavior that does not demonstrate sensitivity to these basic human needs will cause others to feel unsafe.

Simply put, followers will not follow a leader who makes them feel unsafe. Why? Please allow me to provide the basic logic. Our inherent human nature does not allow us to trust people who make us feel unsafe. We will not follow another whom we do not trust. Without followers you are not leading, even if you have the title that says so!

What is the appropriate approach? The golden rule provides the most succinct yet powerful core principle for effective leadership. In summary it states, “Treat people the way you wish to be treated”.

Some may suggest Mr. X is doing all right as a leader. After all, he has developed a national reputation as a leader. Conversely, he has also developed a correlating reputation as a difficult person who could dehumanize others in his quest for results. The real question is, “How much more effective could he be if he had the inner security to respond to those he leads with transparency and kindness?” How many people have quit following him who could have strengthened his success as well as their own, but left instead in search of a healthier leadership environment? How many missed opportunities have there been because he failed to treat others with compassion and kindness?

Powerful leadership results can transpire over a simple act of kindness. For instance, one could argue the great state of Alaska was acquired because of a missed single kind act. Witness the following compelling example of leadership and kindness.

President-elect Lincoln, while traveling by train, was deeply immersed in thought concerning the composition of his leadership cabinet. The choice for Secretary of State was still unfilled as he was torn between two highly respected finalists.

On the same train, in the same car, unbeknownst to each other, sat one of the men whom Lincoln was considering for the position of Secretary of State. He had an appointment to meet with Mr. Lincoln the next morning. While sipping brandy and pondering how he might win the prized appointment, he called for the steward to refill his glass. Because the steward was finishing pouring a beverage for another, he did not immediately respond. When he did arrive moments later, the man berated the steward for serving a man of his own stature in such a poor manner. Excoriating him not to let it happen again, he sent the embarrassed servant away.

Mr. Lincoln heard the exchange. The next day Mr. Lincoln chose the other finalist, William Seward, later responsible for purchasing the Alaskan territory amidst great criticism. Asked why he did not choose the other man (who had ridden in his same coach car the previous day), Lincoln responded, “In this age of incivility, I want a man who will treat others with civility and kindness. I became convinced, due to personal experience, that one candidate perhaps lacked such character.”

Wise are the leaders who encourage genuine kindness and courtesy as an essential aspect of their core leadership style. Do not underestimate its impact on your influence as a leader. Believe me, your followers will not!

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Leadership and Getting Out of Its Way

Monday, February 15th, 2010

While having coffee with a friend who possesses a larger-than-life personality, and the physique to match, he shared a story regarding his twelve year old son, the quarterback of a team for whom he is the head coach. Like everything else, my friend is big into leadership and relishes every opportunity to pass leadership principles onto his son.

My friend said that he had been pushing his son for some time to show more leadership, and to offer motivating challenges to his teammates while in the huddle between plays. The big man shared an important lesson he learned from his son regarding his attempts to lead by constant example:

During practice I had this habit of joining the huddle almost every play and offering words of wisdom to players who needed instruction and guidance. I was becoming annoyed with my son because I did not see him practice the same behavior with his teammates that I was attempting to instill in him. Over dinner one night, I pushed him to not merely be a player; I said he had a responsibility to be a leader and that he wasn’t exhibiting leadership with his teammates.

The next day I continued to offer words of encouragement to the boys in the huddle. I waited impatiently for my son to speak up rather than having instruction come only from me. Another coach meanwhile asked me to come to the sideline to attend some other matter. All of a sudden I heard my son barking orders confidently in the huddle. Amazed, I watched at a distance as this continued for several plays. I was equally impressed how the boys responded to my son’s directives.

After practice I asked my son, “What got into you out there in the huddle? You finally started acting like a leader.”

My son replied with a statement that humbled me with one of those life lesson moments:

“Dad I have been trying to lead,” he said. “But you were so big in the huddle that there was no room left for me.”

My friend recalled the power of that moment for him, both personally and professionally, because it had a direct application to the company that he owned and operated as well. He shared that in the first few years after he purchased his company, he was constantly bothered that his managers relied on him to make every important decision.

Up until then, I thought the problem was with them. On the way home from my son’s practice that night, I realized I was the problem, not my managers! I thought that I had to be in on every play to help my operating team. I didn’t want them to fail so I constantly intervened in my managers’ decisions. I realized I was doing the same thing with my managers at work that I was doing with my son on the football field. I insisted on being “so big” in the decisions of my leaders that I was preventing them from the chance to grow and to lead. They didn’t trust themselves to make decisions because my over-involvement displayed my own lack of trust in them. I learned that sometimes one of the most powerful moments for a leader is to just get out of the way.

Today my friend’s company is known across the Midwest as leading the way in developing highly engaged and high results environments. He is recognized for growing leaders from within his own organization. Frequently, while speaking to business leaders desiring to duplicate his success, my friend recounts that one of the most important steps along his journey was the day he realized that great leadership sometimes means just getting out of the huddle and out of the way. Only until he was willing to change himself in this regard, could my friend expect to see changes in his leaders as well.

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WHO DO YOU TRUST?

Friday, October 9th, 2009

WHO DO YOU TRUST?

WHO do you trust?
Who DO you trust?
Who do YOU trust?
Who do you TRUST?

WHAT is so significant about this question, regardless of how it is asked?

Some of you may remember this question as the title to a popular quiz show in the 50’s and 60’s hosted by the late Johnny Carson. The show made the phrase a popular expression that still catches the attention but more importantly, how you think of and answer this question today says a lot about the health of your business team.

The key word in this expression is the answer to a question frequently posed to me by leaders, “What is the single most important ingredient within a highly effective team?”

While there are many components in the development of a successful team, no team can demonstrate sustained effectiveness without that key word: trust. Trust is the glue that holds a team together. It enables team members to take risks with each other, in terms of being honest and transparent in communicating issues, concerns, and problems.

And who you trust also provides the impetus for us to take risks that may improve a team’s success, even in the face of possible failure. An example from baseball athletics is demonstrated by the centerfielder who dives for a ball, trusting that his fellow outfielder will back him up should the ball elude his grasp. Without such trust, he will be prone to play it safe, providing his opponent with increased odds of reaching base.

In my years of working with countless teams, I have yet to encounter a high producing team, as characterized by high engagement and strong morale, that had not learned to trust each other. I have witnessed three variations of trust among teams, with two of them being unhealthy. Let’s examine the manifestation of unhealthy trust first.

Unhealthy Distrust – Distorted Perceptions. This kind of breakdown occurs when team members refuse to trust each other, even in the presence of genuine trustworthy behavior by members within the team. The fear of being hurt becomes the overriding agenda in this kind of team. This is usually found in extremely dysfunctional teams characterized by deep suspicion and cynicism because of previous issues which were mishandled or not addressed at all. When unhealthy distrust is present, the team often splinters into factions.

Attempting to turn around such teams represents a major challenge. Team members, in this case, have developed distorted “filters” based upon past perceived injustices, unfair treatment and hurtful interactions. The actions and motives of others are viewed from these faulty filters, making it difficult to develop group trust or motivate this kind of struggling team to regain a fresh start. Who does this kind of team trust? Essentially no one. Some members may not even really be trusting themselves.

In such an atmosphere, there is no room for error or missteps for fear of being branded or slotted into a particular “camp”. The culture of such a team is best characterized by “Don’t stick your head out or it may get chopped off”.

Unhealthy Trust – Distorted Realities. In this scenario a team declares trust for each other even though they have no basis for such trust. This is trust given too quickly! Like the above-mentioned distrust, such a declaration is not based on reality. It will doom a team to failure because there is no room for making mistakes. Here we find that trust given so quickly is also withdrawn just as quickly. This sick form of trust is usually found in newly formed teams who have a strong desire to be effective but underestimate the importance of developing agreed upon commitments that become the basis of developing and weighing trust.

Who does a team like this trust? Again, essentially no one. Such teams tend to be shallow and become quite skilled at avoiding conflict which may threaten this artificial trust. Tough discussions are avoided. Issues build and are not addressed, becoming toxic to the team. Unfortunately, a team that has exhibited unhealthy trust will move to healthy distrust in its cycle of decline. The culture of such a team is best characterized by, “Fake it till you make it. Can’t we all just get along”?

The alternative to the above scenarios is healthy trust. This trust begins with the commitment that team members will give each other the benefit of the doubt. The InitiativeOne term for this is giving each other “change in your pocket”. The basis for trust is built upon agreed commitments that the teammates will expect from each other in how they will interact with each other, discuss issues with one another, and address problems with and between each other. As these commitments are adhered to, change in the pocket deepens. Conversely, as commitments are broken, change in the pocket decreases.

Who do members of this kind of team trust? Each other, because such trust is realistic. It grows over time but allows people a starting point on which to begin. Rather than being based on being perfect, it is based upon being consistent to the standards or “norms” that the team established.

Fortunately, it is entirely possible for a team that has fallen into “healthy trust and distrust” to achieve a state of “healthy trust”. What are the key steps?

1.  Team members must surface the underlying issues that have contributed to distrust. Without acknowledging these issues and its impact upon the team, the team cannot move toward healing. Such conversations must occur within a spirit of mutual respect and in a manner that is not attacking or demeaning of other team members. Often a third party is needed to help a team sift through such issues that may have become emotionally charged over time.
2.  Individual team members need to own their “stuff”. We all make mistakes. Making a mistake does not make us a mistake. When I internalize this, I am free to accept responsibilities for mistakes and missteps without self-condemnation. It is a mark of strength, not weakness, to say “I’m sorry.” Taking responsibility for one’s decisions and misbehaviors is key to helping a team to move to a better place.
3.  The team must develop a new basis upon which to build shattered trust. A signature work of InitiativeOne is to help teams establish commitments around developing behaviors that will strengthen team trust. Once agreed upon, these commitments become non-negotiable. Each person commits to be held accountable and to hold others accountable when such commitments are breached.
4.  Making a choice to forgive. Once issues are addressed, and teammates accept appropriate responsibility for trust diminishing behavior, there must be a conscious choice to put a stake in the ground. All evaluations of each other are to be made from that point forward. This is a profound moment in the life of a team. Teams that cannot do this effectively are doomed to mediocrity, if they survive.
5.  Keep issues above the table. Trust is not an act of declaration. It is earned by actions over the process of time, not in an instant. As a team commits to be open, honest, and real with each other, trust deepens. Even if having such conversations creates discomfort in the moment, without such transparency newfound any trust will disappear and the team flounders back to square one so to speak.
Now, we all recognize that taking the actions and modeling the behaviors outlined in these five steps is much more difficult than just reading my words. But what I want to convey to you is that such dramatic change is possible.

Remember, leadership starts with you. You control your approach to open and honest communication, even if some other members of your team are not direct, you can be. You can accept responsibility and honor your commitments, and not allow falsehoods to go unchallenged. You can conduct yourself in a manner that qualifies you as a trustworthy individual and inspires those around you to model your behavior. You can, as we say at InitiativeOne, “walk the talk” – you can be the one they trust.

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Perfectionism Erodes Leadership Team Success

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

Any sane person would agree that no one is perfect.  Still, I frequently observe leadership teams operating with “perfection” as a prerequisite for developing and maintaining trust between team members.  This is especially so with teams that have a high percentage of “perfectionists”.

One of the positive things about teams that are loaded with perfectionists is that they typically demand excellence from themselves.  The negative side of perfectionistic teams is there is sometimes little room for team members to make mistakes, or to be human.

These teams can be highly judgemental, often reading more into the mistakes of fellow teammates as proof of personal agendas and hidden motives.

How do those of us with perfectionistic tendencies keep from getting sucked into this destructive “political” thinking as we work with fellow teammates?  Three things are important to remember.

Quit taking yourself so seriously. Perfectionists often have unhealthy views of themselves.   They think the only way to be valued by themselves and others is to perform flawlessly.  Perfectionists are hard on themselves and then become hard on others.  When we find ourselves judging a fellow teammate who has made a mistake, we are really transferring upon them those feelings we have about ourselves.  It is amazing when I accept myself, warts and all, how I can become so much more accepting of others and their mistakes.

Give others the benefit of the doubt. It is so easy to give ourselves the benefit of the doubt when we make mistakes but then to withhold the same when someone else errs.

Choose to see the efforts of others as well intentioned, even if they didn’t turn out well.  If there efforts are truly about furthering some hidden agenda, time eventually reveals those patterns.

Move on. Healthy teams talk about it.  They discuss how a particular action or decision by one of their teammates bothered them.  They talk about corrective actions and lessons learned.  They get commitments from each other about what is needed to move forward and then they get on with their responsibilities without dwelling on the past mistake.

Food for thought!  Comments?

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