Do's and Don'ts of Email

Email is so common now it's almost passe.  Texts threaten to usurp- and further abbreviate- other methods of communication.  As septuagenerians venture online, tweens consider email old news. But in the arena of effective leadership (and management), real communication is still one of the pillars of effectiveness.

So this month I bring you a brief list of email do's and don'ts to help keep yourself out of trouble in the workplace, and to make your communication just that much smoother around the office:

Do

• Use email to set up meetings, to recap spoken conversations, or to follow up on information already discussed face-to-face
• Keep email messages short and to the point.  Many people read the messages on tiny screens on their phones
• Use email to prepare a group of people for a meeting (sending materials to review, reminders of time and location, etc.)
• Use email to transmit standard (non-sensitive) reports
• Act like a newspaper reporter: Use the subject line to grab attention, put the most important info in the first paragraph, answering the important who, what, when, where, how, and why right away
• Be aware of the email "tail" - you know, that part of the email that contains the history of the conversation back and forth that automatically builds when you hit reply.  I have seen more than a few people very embarrassed by forgetting that there is a whole history down there, and sending it off to someone new.  When in doubt, just start a brand new email to reply and avoid all the history.

• Know your audience.  The better you know them, and the longer your history in working together, the more you can assume that they can "read between the lines" of your message and get the correct intent.  Be more careful with those whom you just started working with- the potential to get a message misinterpreted is higher.  

 

Don't

• Use email to discuss something with someone who sits right next to or down the hall from you- get off of your chair and go see them the old fashioned way!
• Respond in anger or while agitated.  If something sets you off, set it aside for 10 minutes or more and get some perspective.  Try to get some perspective and calm down before responding- and ask yourself if you even need to respond to such emails.  Sometimes no response is the best one.  Remember-email is forever... do you want your explosion of anger frozen in time for others to pull up later?
• Hit reply to all without giving some serious thought as to how your response will be seen by EACH and EVERY recipient.  Conveying emotion electronically is hard enough, but sending one message to many recipients makes it that much harder.  Read and re-read that email response before replying to all.
• Write anything in an email that you wouldn't want to have published in a newspaper or company newsletter for all to see.  Because let's face it, when you come right down to it, that's basically what email is.  There is more chance that something WILL leak out than it WON'T.  

Happy emailing! 

note: more than a few of these do's and don'ts come from Andrea Poe's article "Don't Touch that 'Send' Button" article from HR Magazine 7/01.

Leading at Just the Right Distance

Note: the following is Chapter 36 from the recently-released book:

click here for more info

Twenty Steps Ahead: Leading at Just the Right Distance

Zeke is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. He’s very cute and endearing, but he can really be dumb as a post sometimes. Case in point: he can get lost in our house. To be fair, many times when he’s turned  around, it’s not because he doesn’t know where he is, it’s because he doesn’t know where I am.

Our staircase is in the center of the house and is split into two sections with a landing in between. You walk up, turn ninety degrees right on the landing, walk a few feet, turn ninety degrees again, and walk the rest of the way up. If I’m upstairs and I call Zeke, he has trouble triangulating where I am. Did my voice come from upstairs? Or from the other room? He’ll run halfway up to the landing and wait. When I call him again
he knows I’m upstairs, but now my voice is coming from the direction where, if he ran toward me, he would be descending the stairs. Now he’s completely baffled. Should he run toward my voice and down to the first level, or away from my voice and up to the second level (where he now knows I am)? It’s just
so confusing! I have to literally walk down to the landing and guide him up, so that he can follow me in the right direction, and the stairs line up with the path to my voice. Like I said, he’s not brilliant.

a labyrinth

The same thing happens when we are out for a hike. The best places are off-leash areas where the dogs can run free without danger of traffic or unsuspecting pedestrians. Many of these locations are in the woods,  composed of a network of small footpaths. Taking Paco and Zeke on the trails is predictable. Paco zips back and forth, running a hundred feet ahead, then coming back and checking on us before running ahead again. He usually gets twice the walk we do. Zeke usually falls behind, engrossed in the smell of some patch of ground.  For most of the walk, we don’t have to worry about the dogs. They run off and play and then catch up with us again. Yet we have to take care when there’s a fork in the path. Paco is usually attentive enough so that if he’s ahead of us on the wrong fork he zips back and finds us. Zeke gets lost. Since he lags behind, he doesn’t see which path we took. His solution is to panic, choose a direction, and just sprint.

We first observed this on the trails at Fort Funston in San Francisco. This park remains our all-time favorite place for dog walking. Stretching out on rolling cliffs and dunes over the Pacific Ocean, the paved paths are a magnet for dog owners. The dogs socialize while the people get a workout and a stunning
view.

One afternoon we were hiking there with the dogs, and Zeke fell behind. We didn’t notice for a few minutes, and when we did turn to look for him, we could barely see him around a bend. At that moment he looked up from the root he was sniffing and realized he had lost us. We saw the panic set in as he frantically scanned everyone around, not finding us among them. Within ten seconds he simply chose a direction (the wrong one) and took off at full speed. There he went, sprinting his muscular little body off into the distance, his head glancing at every person he passed.

Leaders need to be just far enough ahead of their followers to motivate them, inspire them, and show them the direction, but not so far that nobody can see them. This quote by Georg Brandes, an influential Danish literary critic, sums it up nicely: “The crowd will follow a leader who marches twenty steps in advance, but if he is a thousand steps in front of them, they do not see him and do not follow him.”

When we were a hundred feet in front of Zeke, he was able to follow us. Once we got too far ahead of him, we lost him. When a leader is no longer in sight, some followers will behave as Zeke did—they will choose a direction and just run. Others will sit down and wait. In any case, the leader will no longer be a leader as there is no one following him. In many cases, the “distance” between a leader and followers is not literal. It may be the distance between the mindset of the two. It may be a gap in vision. For instance, Steve Jobs may have lost some followers who did not grasp his vision of personal computing.

Transformational leaders are aware that while they have to push the envelope they still need to  communicate a future that followers can identify with and understand. So how do leaders provide a path for followers to show them how to get from point A to point B? I have to meet Zeke halfway down the stairs to correctly guide him, and it’s not too different for the leader of a (human) team. Leaders meet their followers halfway and provide them structure and direction. They initiate structure by putting organizational elements in place and clarifying vision and goals toward which everyone should strive. Initiating structure (along with consideration) has been found to be one of the most important elements of effective leadership. It consists of organizing and communicating within an organization how work is supposed to flow and what tools, policies, and procedures are available to guide that workflow.

In general, initiating structure means making clear to everyone how tasks are supposed to get done, providing a path of here to there. For instance, a company goal may be to increase gross revenue. OK, how? Make more sales calls? Make the same number but make them better? Attend more networking events? Put money into research and development of new products? New services? Who should they ask to clarify? When left without any intermediate direction and structure, employees have to guess for  themselves how best to achieve this collective goal of increased gross revenue. When this happens, inefficiencies result. If a leader steps in and initiates structure, efforts can be aligned. The key is to lead at just the right distance—not so close as to be micromanaging but not so far as to be vague and unclear.

8 Reasons Why Change Efforts Succeed or Fail

This month we'll take a look at eight reasons why change either works or doesn't work in an organizational setting.  Each of these eight items has two sides: perform them well and succeed, or ignore or do them half-heartedly and fail. 

The list comes to us courtesy of JP Kotter from his book Leading Change.  Notice the themes of communication, structural systems, and alignment.

1. Demonstrating a sense of urgency.  To ensure success in change management it is important to communicate that that the change must happen.  This isn't a "boy, wouldn't it would be nice if..." situation, it's a "hey guys, we better move in this direction right now or we're in trouble!"  To do this, a clear message must be communicated from the top of the organization right down through.  When everyone understands, they all become aligned toward the same goal: the change effort.

2. Building a strong change coalition.  This means that the right people in the right positions with the right "critical mass" have to be in place (aligned) to make it work.  A change effort follows the same simple laws of physics: for each action there is an equal and opposite reaction, and inertia is a significant obstacle to overcome.  Who will be the champions of the effort in your organization?  Who will build and maintain that momentum needed to pull everyone else along until they jump on board?  Are there enough in high positions?  In key influence areas?  Build your coalition with skill because it can make or break the overall effort.  Knowing where each person is within the system and what influence they have is important.

3. Envision the future and build strategy.  Ask "Where are we going with this effort?" and "What's the point?"  As the change leader you need to know what new future will look like as a result of the change.  How will it be better?  What systems will it reinforce?  Will it replace some systems altogether?  How does this change fit into your long term, mid, and short term strategies?  Make sure all the goals nest together in the sense that they all align toward the same ultimate positive outcome.  If you can't form a clear vision of where the organization is headed, how can you expect others to? And then...

4. Communicate the vision! Now that you have a clear picture of why the change needs to happen, and what the future will look like as a result, communicate that vision to everyone else.  After all, you made a decision to take on the monumental task of creating change because you knew it was worth the energy and urgency.  Now it is your role to communicate why that decision is best, and help others come to the same conclusion.  Why would they put in the effort if they don't see why it's worth it?

5. Remove barriers and align the organization.  Look forward- what could derail this change effort?  Are there people or structures in place that might slow down or completely halt the positive momentum you're building?  Think a few steps ahead, using your knowledge of the existing structures, and try to clear obstacles before they occur.  What does structure mean?  It means how information flows, who is seen as influential, what the work flow looks like, who reports to whom, who has political affiliations with whom, and what other hidden agendas there might be that you need to be aware of.  Do your best to work with your understanding of the realities of the organization and try to align them to work in your favor towards the change effort.

6. Build on early successes.  This can be said in another way: create small wins that people can celebrate and rally around early in the effort.  Momentum builds as people see that yes, things can change, and yes, change can be good.  Give some thought as to what pains you can help alleviate and build those "small wins" in to the first part of the change management structure.  A few early wins (especially for key people in influential positions) can help to rally those who are on the fence and align everyone towards further small wins, and finally the change as a whole.  Not all of us are marathon runners- we can't all delay satisfaction for the last goal.  Many of us need small rewards for small efforts, which add up to bigger rewards for bigger efforts.

7. Maintain (or increase) the pace of change.  While still communicating urgency, don't set the bar too high too soon.  Just as early wins can motivate, early failures can derail.  Start off small, accomplish milestones and goals, and build an intentional pace into the structure of the change effort.  This can't be on-the-fly or figure-it-out-as-you-go.  It must be built in to the overall plan.  Remember, for each force there is an equal and opposite force, so if you start off guns blazing you're only creating more resistance to overcome.  Think of it this way- is it easier to break the surface tension of water by walking in to a lake or by entering it from above going 50 miles an hour?  In which situation are you most likely to survive?  Once you are in, however, slowly pick up the pace and maintain urgency.

8. Put systems in place to reinforce change.  This includes planning ahead (what will the structure look like) and putting elements in place as you go (building toward an overall structure).  An organization without structure is like a body without bones - you can have all the energy (muscle) and intention (brain) you want, but without something for those to hold on to, you aren't going anywhere!  See my website for more information on organizational structure.

So there you go- with some time and attention to the 8 items above, your change management effort has a lot higher chance for success.  Good luck.

5 Ways to Adapt to Your Boss's Style

Yes, I know.  You have style.  Whether its what you choose to wear on casual Fridays or how you nurse that morning 22 oz coffee until lunchtime, we all have our own particular styles.  But when it comes to getting ahead, it helps to adapt your style to your boss's style.

This doesn't mean kissing up, or turning yourself into a "mini me" of your boss.

you called, boss?

What it does mean is that you need to understand what your boss's leadership style is and align yourself with it so that (1) you can make your boss succeed and (2) you will end up moving up the organization as well.  According to a recent leadership textbook, "Research has shown that some executives fail to get promoted (ie, are derailed) because they are unable or unwilling to to adapt to superiors with leadership styles different from their own." (Hughes, Ginnett, and Curphy)

So how do you do it?

1. Determine how your boss communicates.  Does she prefer face-to-face or over email?  Does she like long conversations or short interactions?  Whenever possible, communicate as she does.

2. How does your boss view heirarchical structure?  Are they formal ("you shall address me as Mr. Jenkins") or casual ("call me Pete")?  Follow suit.

3. How do they make decisions?  Are they collaborative or authoritarian?  If they are collaborative you may help them by soliciting other viewpoints on a problem that you are working on.  Conversely, if they prefer authoritarian decision making, and have assigned you a task, collect all the information on your own, make a firm decision, and let the boss know what it is and that you stand behind it.

4. Clarify your job role.  It's hard to guess what your job is if you aren't clearly informed through a job description.  You think you know what an Assistant Product Manager is, but do you know what your boss thinks an Assistant Product Manager should be doing?  Your opinion and his may not overlap.  They may not even be close.  If you aren't given a job description, take the initiative to write down what you feel are your main job duties and responsibilities.  What do you spend your time working on?  Are you responsible for making sure others do certain tasks?  Collect all this information and request a meeting (formally or informally - see #2 above) with your boss to discuss it.  Do you agree on what is expected of you?  Do you agree on how those duties should be carried out?

5. Be honest and dependable.  Nothing above matters if you aren't a quality person.

There you go- Five Steps to a better relationship with your boss, and a more quickly-advancing career!

be the first one up

Increasing Your Credibility

Who doesn't want to be credible?  In order to lead others, we need to be seen as trustworthy in their eyes.  The best way to do this is to BE trustworthy.  Unethical leaders always are found out sooner or later.  But the challenge is that even if you are trustworthy by nature, you may not always be seen as such, because perhaps you don't exhibit enough of the behaviors that would encourage others to see you this way.  In this post we'll take a quick look at how to increase your credibility. 

The one take-away lesson from this post is summed up in the following graphic:

Now, for the details:

What does credibility mean?  What does a credible leader look like?  A credible leader:

• exhibits a strong sense of right and wrong
• takes a stand for what they believe in
• honors confidentiality
• starts or encourages ethical considerations in work issues 

Ask yourself of you fit the description above.  Would others see you in this way?

In order to increase credibility, there are two actions that can be taken.  Think of them as two sides of the credibility "coin."  They are: (1) Building Expertise and (2) Building Trust. 

Building Expertise

In order to be credible you must have a certain level of expertise.  Even a distinguished high court judge may not be a credible source of information on how to install a new muffler on your car.  For that you go to the one with expertise, the mechanic (ideally a trustworthy one, which might be more difficult).  Expertise is broken down into three areas: (1) technical competence, (2) organizational knowledge, and (3) industry knowledge.

First of all, in order to be a credible leader you need to know the technical side.  If you head up a construction company, you need to know how construction works.  If you run a bakery, you need to know how to bake.  This should be an ongoing endeavor: seek to increase the toolbox of knowledge and behaviors that you can then apply in the business to improve it and solve problems every day.

At the second level, organizational, you need to know as much as you can about the dynamics of your company (or, if you are in a huge company, at least your division or department).  This includes knowing the positions and the people behind them, their personalities and proclivities.  At this level you should also have a working understanding of the politics in the company.  The more you understand who the players are, and what the internal forces are that shape the dynamics of the company, the more people will look to you as a source of understanding and sense-making (because remember, leaders help others interpret events and place them in a context). 

At the third level you need to know about the context of industry.  In what world is your company operating?  Are you running an ice-cream store in the middle of a nationwide panic on transfat?  Are you in the oil industry as the government is increasing regulations in response to a spill?  Are you running a sports equipment store in an region that has just introduced lacrosse at the collegiate level?  If you are to be a credible leader, you need to know the external forces that are shaping the options, threats, opportunities, and paths for your company.  If you are disconnected from these, others will have trouble looking at you as credible. 

In short, when others look for a credible leader, they look for someone who knows what he or she is talking about.

Building Trust

The other side of the credibility coin is building trust.  In order to do this, you need to work on your relationships with others, and communicate to them a strong value system. 

Usually we don't wear our values systems on our sleeves, so others are left to guess at what it might be.  One way that we can try to figure out what someone's values are is to look at where they spend their time, money, and energy on.  If we know someone volunteers coaching little league or at a soup kitchen, this tells us something different about them than if they seem to stay late at work even when there is no more work to do, just to avoid going home and being with family.  What could people guess about your value systems based on what they see of us at work?  Where is it obvious you choose to spend our time, energy, and money?  Are you rushing out at the stroke of five o-clock or working until everything is done? Do you take pleasure in crushing another team or company in a competition?  It's these little every day events that others use to piece together their impression of us.

In regards to building relationships, there is much advice out there.  The simplest is this:  take the time to actually listen to others.  Ask real questions.  Listen to the answers.  Be present and available and as authentic as you can.  Relationships will build from there.

In conclusion, if you want to increase your credibility with others, know that they will be asking two questions of you (but not directly asking you- rather looking in your actions and behavior for answers):

1. Do you know what you are talking about?
2. Can you be trusted to use that information for the best outcomes?

If they get the impression from you that yes, you are knowledgeable and yes, you are ethical and trustworthy enough to use that information for the highest and best outcome, then you will be seen as a credible leader.

Re-Branding a Pit Bull

Hello Everyone,
This month's post concerns the importance of sticking to who you are long enough to change perceptions.  I've been reading a lot about "The Lost Generation" - these twenty-somethings who are emerging from college with staggering debts and virtually no job prospects.  Just today the top headline on the Huffington Post was about the increasing number of educated young women who are turning to online sites that hook them up with "Sugar Daddies" who will pay their bills in exchange for "physical access" to the women.

Moral judgments aside, I was struck by the dilemma these women face; the tough personal choice to offer yourself up to a stranger for money in exchange for your Sallie Mae monthly note being paid.

So I decided to post the chapter in my upcoming book about sticking to your principles and the courage to go after what you feel is right (and true to yourself) in the face of societal pressure and perceptions.  I suppose this could be interpreted two ways: (1) the courage to resist a "sugar daddy/sugar baby" relationship when the alternative is debt default or living on Ramen Noodles, or (2) the courage to enter a "sugar daddy/sugar baby" relationship as an Ivy-League grad (yes, over 100 women from Harvard are registered) despite the fact that 99% of society considers the arrangement thinly-veiled prostitution.

So without further ado, let's take a look at one of the toughest "brands" to manage: that of the Pit Bull.

this?  or...

this?

(excerpted from Get the Cookie, Paco! Lessons in Everyday Leadership from My Dogs)

Chapter 5: Re-branding a Pit bull

Courage to be who you are long enough to change perceptions

Part of being a leader is having the courage to be who you are long enough to change people’s perceptions.  We all have different skills and different strengths to offer, but often there is an immense pressure to conform to some concept of ‘normal.’  The problem with caving to this pressure and trying to just fit in is that you don’t stand out, by definition.  If you spend all your time trying to conform to what you think is normal, then you will be actively working against being a leader, as you will just blend in with the crowd.  You’ll be just another ‘normal’ person.  There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, of course, but we’re after excellence and improvement, not merely status quo.

In the first weeks after Hurricane Katrina, Michaele and I evacuated with her family to a friend’s ranch outside of Houston.  We had only been dating for a few weeks at this point, and here I was living under the same roof as her whole family.  Michaele’s mom, Kathy, had adopted Paco and Pancho from that same ranch about six months earlier.  She is a dog lover from way back.  However, at this point she wasn’t so sure about poor Zeke.  He’s officially a mutt- an inner-city pound dog.  But he looks like a Pit Bull[1].  Somewhere back there he has some strong heritage.  This in itself is not surprising as pit-mixes make up the majority of pound dogs in the New Orleans area.  

Kathy heard from Michaele that I had a ‘Pit Bull,’ and was concerned to be sharing a house with this beast (the fact that one of our first dates was on my motorcycle probably didn’t help Zeke’s and my reputation).  She had not really spent too much time with him—only a quick introduction—so she was a bit suspicious.  Unfortunately, Staffordshire Terriers and Pit Bulls have been unduly demonized in the press, and most people accept the stereotype without a second thought.  I too was guilty of this before I adopted Zeke.  Kathy, like so many people, didn’t know that the breed was actually considered a ‘nanny dog’ in frontier times as it protected the kids against wild animals.

Zeke had his work cut out for him.  He was accused of being a threat before he walked in the door.  Yet I wasn’t worried.  I knew Zeke to be a big goofy marshmallow of a dog who loves everybody, and I was interested to see how this would unfold.  Zeke, of course, was just himself.  

We arrived late at night in Houston, the trip lasting a grueling eighteen hours instead of the typical six by car.  The next morning Zeke went about his normal goofy routine, making the rounds to get his back scratched.  He stopped to put his bowling-ball head in Kathy’s lap and turned on the charm.  He looked up at her with soft round eyes and wagged his tail.  This earned him a smile and a polite pat on the head.  By noon she was beginning to think that maybe he wasn’t so scary after all.  In the evening she was wondering why this breed had such a horrible reputation.  And come bed time, she shocked us all by insisting that Zeke come and sleep on the bed with her.  

Zeke won her over just by continuing to be himself.  There was no need for him to be anything else to change her opinion and make her question her original bias against him.  To this day he continues to display all of the positive qualities that this breed is known for (by those who take the time to actually get to know one): he’s a big, roly-poly clown with a simple and bright outlook on life who loves everyone.  Often we joke that we should have named him Ferdinand, after the bull in the children’s book of the same name.  Ferdinand was bred to be a fighting bull, but instead he preferred to sit under a shady tree sniffing flowers.  Zeke is Ferdinand, choosing to sniff or quietly munch on the plants at the park rather than wrestle around with other dogs or live up to some ridiculous media image of a ‘Pit Bull.’ 

In San Francisco there is an organization called B.A.D. R.A.P., an acronym for Bay Area Dog owners Responsible About Pit Bulls.  It operates a rescue center for abused Pit Bulls where the dogs are rehabilitated, temperament tested, and put into loving homes.  Unfortunately, some animals have been abused so horribly that they can no longer safely be around people or other dogs.  Their previous owners—the true monsters—broke their spirit and personality.  But the best dogs, the ones whose true loving and clownish personalities stand out despite a history of abuse, are designated “Ambassadors of the Breed.”  They represent the true qualities of the breed to the public and counteract biased perceptions.  Of course there are certainly animals of this breed that have been turned vicious by their owners, but as a breed they are consistently some of the best-temperamented dogs.  According to the American Temperament Test Society (http://www.atts.org/stats1.html), American Pit Bulls have an 86% pass rate on their standard temperament test, which is higher than most dogs, including Beagles, Basset Hounds, Chihuahuas, and Golden Retrievers!  

Most recently, the media coverage of the fate of Michael Vick’s dogs has helped change many people’s opinions about this breed.  They see that even in the worst of situations, most of these dogs can be brought back with love and care.  They can be rehabilitated and showcase their true warm selves.  Unfortunately, there is a set bias against the breed.  On a recent trip to the Smithsonian’s American History Museum, Michaele and I happened upon an exhibit detailing the H. Nelson Jackson’s completion of the first transcontinental automobile trip[2].  We were delighted to see that his companion (and marketing mascot) was a dog named Bud, clearly identifiable from original pictures and a plaster reproduction as a Pit Bull.  However, the museum sign indicated he was a Bull Dog.  Now there’s a big difference between a Bull Dog and a Pit Bull[3].  It angered and saddened us to think that even the venerable Smithsonian seemed to have a bias against the breed.  Was someone concerned about a public backlash if this faithful and famous dog was actually identified correctly as a Pit Bull?  Would mothers cover their children’s eyes with a protective hand, fearful their progeny might actually see a Pit Bull cast in a positive light?[4]  

The point is that generally “public opinion” is wrong.  So why spend so much time, energy, and worry, trying to conform to what “public opinion” thinks you should be doing with yourself, and how you should be doing it?  

Recently I saw a handwritten sign posted behind the counter at a coffee shop.  It said “In a world where you can be anything you want, why not be yourself?”  This is a lesson that true leaders know well, and live every day.  They have the courage to be themselves, and to believe in themselves.  They spend less time worrying about how they might stack up against conventional views and more time doing what they feel is right.  Eventually, when you are true to yourself and your interests, those who doubted you or were biased against you should come around.  And those who don’t would probably never have been satisfied anyway, so why worry about them?

Be real, be authentic, be enthusiastic about what you believe is right.  Temper this with humility.  Your drive, coupled with the reactions and responses of others, helps to shape who you are.  Be grateful to others for their feedback, because it makes you grow.  But don’t always assume they are right.

Lesson

Don’t put too much stock in opinions of what others expect you to be.  Have the courage to be yourself and work towards what you believe in.  If Zeke could change Kathy’s opinion of him from dangerous dog to snuggly bed buddy in twelve hours, chances are pretty good that you can change people’s perceptions too.

---

[1] Every vet we’ve ever used—over six—has classified him as a mutt.

[2] http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove/exhibition/exhibition_7_2.html

[3] Go ahead and Google images of both.  I’ll wait.

[4] Of course, there’s always the possibility that the museum just made an innocent mistake, but that seems unlikely.

Basic Leadership Skills- Learning from Experience

Well, it's been exactly two months since my last posting.  With clients, graduation, and moving, the schedule has been very full.  In the spirit of getting back into posting regularly I will begin with a quick post on Basic Leadership Skills in regards to Learning from Experience.  These are adapted from Hughes, Ginnett, and Curphy's text.

Create Opportunities to Get Feedback. Even for (especially for) the most powerful leaders, feedback is critical.  We all need to know not only how we're doing objectively (through performance metrics and goal achievement), but how we're doing subjectively (how do other see our performance).  A leader who loses his followers is no longer leading anyone.  Leadership is a function of the leader, the followers, and the situation, so that means two-thirds of leadership has to do with elements outside of the leader herself.  For this reason it is important to solicit feedback from multiple sources.

For instance, a small business owner may measure his own performance on year end profitability and sales numbers.  But he should casually gather feedback from employees on their satisfaction, customer comments and interactions, and ways the organization might be run more smoothly.  It's usually the front-line people that have the best ideas for how to improve the customer experience and reduce redundancies, because they have to deal with both every day.

He could also discuss the business with his spouse (whether she works there or not) and see what her observations are on how it's run and how it might be improved.  She might be ready to tell him his own areas for improvement as well (as husbands and wives usually like to do).

A third way to solicit advice is from a Trusted Advisor.  Much like the "in the family but not of the family" idea in the Concigliere role, the Trusted Advisor is one who is close enough to see the inner workings of the organization and personalities involved, experienced enough to know how to improve it, and trusted enough to speak plainly and truthfully to the owner (without fear of bias).  Many leaders benefit from the incorporation of a Trusted Advisor.

Take a 10 percent stretch.  No matter where you are today, and in what direction you want to head, the journey begins with taking a step forward.  As much change is daunting, keep in mind that you don't have to change everything at once.  Shoot for a 10% change, define it in real, measurable goals (so that you can hold yourself accountable later), and start working towards it.

Maybe you want to increase gross sales from $10M to $11M next year.  Say you want to reach 10% more customers, or expand your network by 10% (say from 200 to 220 connections on LinkedIn).  This can be as simple as wanting to post five more posts for the weekly food blogger or as complex as wanting to rate 10% better on your annual 360 degree review. 

Keep a Journal.  Now this one I think can be taken literally (have a journal that you write in regularly to reflect upon- and get perspective on- issues that you are dealing with), or it can be taken figuratively (remember to take time regularly to look back and think about your progress, issues with the organization, challenges, and successes).

The key to either approach is to revisit events so that you can (a) get a better perspective on them and (b) learn from them so that you are better prepared for the next time around.  Too often busy business owners rush from one crisis to another simply putting out fires without any chance to look back and consider events, performance, and meaning.

Create a Development Plan.  This is simply a matter of asking "Where am I going with all of this?"  It may seem obvious to say you need to know where you want to go before you try to get there, but many times we rush towards a vague notion of "better" without having clear, articulated, and measurable goals along the way.  This isn't to say that a plan can't change along the way, just that having it written down will help focus efforts towards real results.

This can be applied on many levels:

• personal (I am going to master these skills this year); 
• organizational (a plan to increase employee satisfaction by 25% and reduce turnover by 10%); 
• performance-driven (a monthly detailed budget to plan for $40M in sales and $500K in profit by fiscal year end).

To conclude, learning from experience takes some effort.  Although most people learn lessons passively as they go through life, what distinguishes you as a leader will be your ability to actively- and assertively- use the techniques above to accelerate your performance and the performance of those around you.