What’s Your Leadership GPS?

 How do you navigate through the role of leadership?  Part of being a leader, not only in business, but also in life, is knowing how to move through, around and over the different obstacles that challenge leadership.

 

Leadership is more than a title or a position on an organizational chart.

 

Leadership is a way of being, how you show up, and the actions that inspire and encourage others to follow.

A leader’s GPS involves:

-        Goals

-        People and Processes, and,

-        Systems

 

Leadership goals fall into three levels:

1) Goals for the organization,

2) Goals for the Leader, and,

3) Goals for the Team.

 

Goals are essential as they serve as the navigational point or destination for the team. Leaders then map out the plan and lead the team through, around and over any challenges that arise.

 

Leaders need people to lead. Engaging the people on the team,and tuning up the team will help ensure that the team members are empowered to demonstrate leadership in their work and role.

 

Your Leadership GPS is about how you manage goals, people and processes, and systems in the team. As you move forward into 2013, how can you encourages others to build their Leadership GPS?

 

 

 

What You Know Now

Don't you wish you knew then what you know now about business, teams and success?
As a corporate trainer and professional speaker, one of the questions I enjoy asking the audience is "what do you know now that you wished you knew then?"  When I am speaking at leadership events this question is about leadership.  When I am speaking about team building the question is about teams.  Regardless of the topic, the question generates rich responses.
Recently, my answer to this question was published in the Secret Entourage article "63 Things Entrepreneurs wished they knew at age 21".  You can scroll down and read my tips in this article.
http://www.secretentourage.com/entrepreneur/63-things-entrepreneurs-wish-they-knew-at-age-21/
What do you know now that can help someone be successful in their business, as a leader or in their team?  I would love to hear your pearls of wisdom.  Let me know your tips and we'll publish them in a future blog.  I know that some of the best learning comes from having the experience, surviving a challenge, or making a mistake and growing through the experience.
Recently in a team building workshop I asked the question "what do you know now that you wished you knew then about being a team member?"  Here's what I heard:

• Teamwork takes work!
• We must be flexible.
• Teamwork requires flexibility.
• For a healthy team, you must work through issues as they surface.
• When you are passionate and have a common goal, the team is stronger.

This is a great question to ask at a team meeting, training or in a supervision conversation.

Change: Can it be as easy as 1, 2, 8

John Kotter, is the author of Leading Change, a great book about the challenges of change and the 8 step process to implement change more effectively and thus avoiding the consequences of lower morale, and business interruptions.  Kotter's 8 step process may not always be easy as 1, 2, 3 but, these steps provide a road map to follow. 


1. Establish sense of urgency

2. Create the guiding coalition

3. Develop vision and a strategy

4. Communicate the change vision

5. Empower employees for broad based action

6. Generate short win wins

7. Consolidate gains and produce more change

8. Anchor new approaches in the culture

From my experience, the steps that are frequently missed, downplayed or challenged are: 2, 3, 4, and 5. Often the urgency is present however, I see leaders jump into implementing the change without pulling together the team, so, the leader becomes the change agent, communicator, lead, etc. When a change team is created, there are more champions to communicate the vision, and empower others.  The communication of change is very important, right from the WHAT is being communicated to the WHEN and in WHAT ways.  I am a strong believer of having a communication plan to guide the communication, this minimizes opportunity for miscommunication, rumours and inaccurate assumptions.
When I facilitated change management processes, these aspects form part of the change charter that is developed by the team leading the change.

To find out more about Kotter's book, visit:

Renovate to Sell

While watching a "sell this home" type TV show, I couldn't help but notice the similarities between renovating a home to sell it and developing effective sales skills in teams.
In the television episode, a woman was selling her home to downsize as her children had all left for college.  The feedback from the open house attendees who toured the home made comments like, "It is dated", "It is too dark", "I don't understand what this room is for", "Too busy and cluttered", and the list list went on.  You get the drift.  To address some of these issues, the home stager suggested that a coat of paint to some low cost fake wood furniture would actually improve the aesthetics, modernize the room, and make the room look fresh.  The home owner resisted this suggested strongly.  It was her belief that wood should not be painted, even fake wood!  She was so attached to what she knew and how it has always been that she could not see what it could be like.
This occurs in teams too!  Team members become so attached to the way it has always been (even if it no longer serves them) they emphatically resist how it could be.  You hear comments like, "Why change, we've always done it this way", or "It works just fine".  Sometimes the current way really is THE WAY.  However, in many cases, there is opportunity to change things up a bit instead of doing what has always been done.  Often it is difficult for reams and leaders to acknowledge when a system process, service, or approach is no longer serving them well.
Just as attendees at an open house must clearly understand the purpose of a room (e.g. is it a kitchen, a den, etc.), we must clearly understand the purpose of our business and the vision for the future.  When team members understand these things about the companies they work with they will be able to passionately and clearly share that with others, including our next customers.  When teams understand these aspects of their companies, it is then that they can explore how things COULD be.

Who is Leading Your Tribe?

Book Review on the book TRIBES by Seth Godin


Godin describes a tribe as a group of individuals who are connected to one another, an idea, and a leader. According to Godin, you must have a leader otherwise it is not a tribe; the group is imply a group of people. This connection, the tribe, requires two things. The first is a common interest, and the second is communication. Communication can occur in several different ways: leader to tribe, tribe to leader, tribe to outsiders and between tribe members. There have been initiatives and groups to which I have belonged that could be considered a "tribe" in that the members were connected to one another sharing an idea or movement they supported, and where there was a leader. The energy in these groups was very high in that the shared idea was what rooted the members together. The leadership provided the communication and drive to move the initiative forward.


A tribe does require a leader. Leadership and management is different, Godin summarizes the difference as a leader being one that creates change you believe in while managers are more about managing processes and manipulating resources. A tribe leader can increase the effectiveness of the tribe through transformation- transforming the shared interest into a clearly defined goal that the individuals are passionate about. The leader secures the resources and processes to communicate effectively and supports the tribe in growing and evolving.


In the book Tribes, Godin talks about one barrier to bringing good ideas to reality, that is FEAR. He suggests that while many people come up with great, even groundbreaking, ideas however most lack the will to actually make the idea happen because we are hardwired with fear. Fear is also a reason that many leaders avoid leadership...because of the discomfort involved in leadership. There is discomfort when making an unpopular decision, taking a stand, challenging the status quo, change or settling for just "okay". Leaders stretch to move out of the discomfort to be effective in their role, and in doing so, provide the opportunity for change, growth and action towards the goal or mission, or a movement.


There are several "musts" for a movement, according to Godin, those are:

- A Manifesto or what I refer to as a charter- a clearly defined message that is easy to understand and as easy to share with others

- Accessible leaders and connections with others

- Opportunity for members to connect with one another

- Money enables the movement, but money is not the point of the movement

- Progress is tracked.

The principles required, that can also benefit your team are:

- transparency, a movement or goal that is bigger than you, opportunities to grow and thrive, and a high degree of caring.

Who is in your tribe? Whose tribe do you lead? What movements can you get behind to make a difference?

To learn more about Seth Godin or the book Tribes, visit:

Cutting off the Rut

The other evening Tabitha Takes Over was on, and I caught the business owner’s expression of exhaustion and lack of passion. It drew me to the TV to listen. The owner of a salon looked exhausted, worn down and defeated. It was clear she had given up on her business, and, her team had given up on her...and the business. As Tabitha went about her masterful Takeover process, she expressed shock at the degree of complacency that had developed in this business and team. Not only had the team given up, they had become complacent, settling for low to no standards on cleanliest, reputation (their own included), and customer service.

What disturbed me the most was what happened at the renovation and the subsequent “reveal day”. During the renovations the team collaborated to do a spring cleaning on the salon. When Tabitha pointed out the filth in the salon and their workstations, each staff blamed someone else on the team and the owner. No one took any ownership or responsibility for their work area and said things like “not my job!” and “why should I have to help clean this place?”. WOW! And then, after Tabitha’s team remodelled the business and gave it an extreme makeover inside and out, there was not one smile, other than from the owner. They walked through their newly renovated, spotless and modernized salon with no enthusiasm, and what looked like a lack of interest. Immediately the team members commented on all they did not like “I think there are too many colours” and “I wouldn’t have picked this type of chair” or “they should have chosen new toys for the waiting area, kids won’t like these.”

To bring the team back to a more healthy level of performance and to stop the complacency, the following steps help raise the energy and passion:

-          A policy manual and procedural expectations were set, documented and staff were advised that these must be adhered to

-          The team was held accountable to the new standards

-          The owner was also held accountable to uphold the standards

-          Training and coaching was made available for the team

-          The owner was more present, spent more time in the business

If your team is struggling and has become complacent, revisit the tips that Tabitha offers. Ensure people know their roles, and the roles of others, and ensure that issues are addressed and dealt with immediately. Don’t allow them to build, and grow complacency with them.

Bringing Kindness to Work

The Kindness Revolution Book Review


One observation I can offer about workplaces is that when the going gets tough, times get busier, and conflict is causing challenges, kindness goes out the window!  As a trainer and facilitator you might not believe what I have heard and witnessed in workplaces. I have seen some incredible acts of respect, compassion and enthusiasm, and, I have seen people behave in a way that hurts others emotionally.  Ed Horrell, wrote the book The Kindness Revolution, a book I very much enjoyed reading and found great applicability to the work I do. I have always believed that a fundamental attribute to success was that of kindness, not just in customer service, but in everything, including team relationships.

Horrell suggests that there is often a disconnect between what customers want and what businesses and teams think their customers want in terms of good customer service. How well do you know your customers? If you were to ask them their needs, would the answers surprise you? Horrell states that good customer service starts with people, not process! For many this is a shift in thinking. Many businesses spend their time developing processes and systems to service their clients and customers, but forget the people aspect. These processes and systems are important, in fact I teach people how to do this. But, in doing so, people are the priority. As you review and build your customer service beliefs, practices and expectations, make sure that “the people” are woven in at every level.

Horrell states: “The future is WOW!”  Thinking about his statement, how would others describe your company or team's WOW ability? How do you wow your clients and customers?

Another concept Horrell covered, is that of indifference. In teams that are struggling, it is easy to see indifference. To replace indifference with customer service you must address: dignity, courtesy, respect and kindness. Companies and teams who do this, GET IT!

Traits of companies that GET IT:

- They believe in the company guiding principles (and they actually know what they are)

- They strive to keep these principles front and centre to every aspect of business and customer service

- They believe in the dignity of each employees job, and that everyone plays an important role

- They believe that there is a purpose for the corporation and that they are a part of it

- They recognize the importance of employees being empowered and engaged

- The believe in the importance of and value of kindness


Here are a couple of examples that Horrell offers: LL Bean says that “serving customers is a day in day out, ongoing, never ending, persevering, compassion kind of activity.  Fed Ex employees live the values that are core to the company philosophy: respect (treat each person with dignity and respect), integrity (be worthy of trust), service (serve others), excellence (relentlessly strive to exceed expectations), communication (understand and be understood).



What are your standards? What type of example do you set? How do you set this example (e.g. with your attitudes and actions)? How would customers describe the service they receive from your company?

How does your team exhibit kindness in their interactions with others, and in their service to customers? What are the impacts or spin off results that you see?
To find out more about The Kindness Revolution, click here:

The Power of ONE

Have you ever found that it can be a challenge to focus on just one thing...no distractions...no interruptions of thought, just focus on one thing? It can be difficult, especially in our busy and quickly changing world. One step towards your goal, better health, improved relationships, resilience or communication is far better than no step at all. The power of one could include ONE:

• Idea
• Question
• ASK
• Action
• Person
• Success
• Word
• Opportunity

Never underesitmate that ONE can make a BIG difference.

Imagine you are on, or lead, a team of twenty members. What would it be like if each person came into work tomorrow simply focusing on the concept of one...one action that would make a difference. One act of encouragement that would inspire others. One degree of extra effort to communicate effectively. On e act of kindness that would create a chain reaction of kindness. One action towards a specific project. One phone call that markets and promotes the business. The results would be significant.

And, what if tomorrow, each person took one specific step towards a company goal. The result would be twenty actions towards the company meeting that goal. In reality that could be more intentional steps toward success and corporate goals than the team had taken in a month!

Think what that ONE step each day could mean for 2012. You have a whole brand new year ahead of you and it just takes ONE step at a time to make it great! As you begin your day, focus on the ONE act that will make the difference, and see what happens.

Speaking From Experience

What are the biggest issues we have when we speak with others? How would you answer this question? There are many mistakes we can make when communicating with one another. Whether or not the conversation is friendly and positive or requires courageous dialogue, we can say the wrong thing or say something the wrong way. However, most often the trouble is what we are not saying. That's right, it's the awkward silences we so often experience during conversations. Fortunately, there are a couple of strategies to help keep the conversation moving and focused on what is really going on.

Awkward silence in conversations should be completely avoided. These moments only create more tension and confusion for everybody involved and make the situation that much more uncomfortable. To overcome this we need to become more comfortable with silence. Often our conversations are so rushed that it is difficult to remember half of what was said. Slowing down the conversation and practicing short silences will help you become more comfortable if those awkward pauses pop up during a dialogue. Another strategy to deal with silence are those open ended questions I talk about so often...who, what, where, when, and why and how. If you are really at a loss for words, try this..."tell me more about...". There are free communication tools for that you are welcome to access on this blog site.

Take your time to make your point. Slow down your speech and practice being comfortable with short silences in conversations. Using these tools, plus the many free ones offered on this blog, will help you to have more focused and comfortable conversations.

Personally Speaking

Have you ever been in a situation where a staff member, or staff members, continually raised their personal issues and complaints in team meetings or in front of other staff members? Since this situation is not that uncommon it is fairly certain that you have.

As a facilitator and former mediator, I witnessed this a great deal. The truth is, sometimes the intention is very innocent and not to embarrass, challenge or create a scene. In these cases, the person will often respond favorably to a gentle re-directing comment. "That sounds like a very important question you have, and one we might be able to better address one to one. How about you and I connect immediately following the team meeting?" will usually be met with a positive response and help to bring the meeting back to its initial focus.

However, there are other time where a person does have a bone to pick with a team member or supervisor and raises a personal issue in front of the team. The same type of statement could apply here, "That sounds like an important issue that perhaps you and Sue could talk about following the meeting." Sometimes there is value in checking to see if the issue is just one person's concern. Sometimes the group has a concern but only one person feels comfortable or has the courage to raise the issue. It is helpful to manage your emotions and response and to think carefully about how to proceed. If you notice a pattern, for example one team member constantly raises his/her concerns at team meetings instead of one to one, that would be a perfect topic for a one to one feedback discussion after the meeting. It would be very helpful to understand why the individual feels the need to voice and address issues in that way. There may be an opportunity for the "coaching conversation", a dialogue around alternative ways to address concerns.

A Rich Team

During one of my recent Teambuilding Training Programs, I had the opportunity to ask the attending executives to identify the qualities of a "rich team". Of course, this question refers to the relationships and interactions of the team, not to how much money they generate. The responses I received were very enlightening. Here is what they said:

• Cooperation
• Communication
• Initiative
• Respect
• Empathy
• Flexibility
• Unique (contributing as an individual with a separate and distinct personality)
• Loyalty
• Personable
• Honesty
• Trust
• Commitment
• Responsibility

This list identifies some of the most important qualities of a team. Many of these we expect to happen without work and effort and some we take for granted. As you build your team and lead them through the good times, and the not so good times.

The question is, how do you communicate with and engage all of your employees to build these qualities? A great place to start is by including your employees in decision making where possible and appropriate. Explain situations, parameters relevant to situations and decisions (e.g. funds), and specific details so employees can present well informed ideas that have potential for use. Keeping skill sets, personalities, and talents in mind, release some or parts of the control of projects and tasks to others. Sharing responsibility allows for a sense of involvement in the process. Provide support by monitoring and encouraging. Don't forget to be continually connecting employees to the business plan, the company mission and values. The key is to delegate not micromanage. This will extend trust and faith in employees while providing an alternative focus from challenges in the workplace for employees.

seek opportunities to build these qualities. Your efforts will pay off!

Seeking Stability

What do you do when your organization experiences a lot of change, growth and restructuring? It can be so hard to build trust in an ever changing and seemingly unstable environment. Change can be difficult, and team members don't all deal or cope with change in the same way. One surefire way to build trust is to communicate effectively, clearly, frequently and then repeat this process (again and again). Communication can build trust, minimize rumors, and enhance relationships. Another trust building action is to follow up, mean what you say and say what you mean. Let people know what is NOT changing, that is, what is staying the same. Too often we focus on what is changing, what will be different, and by stating what is not changing, you will provide reassurance and stability.

Communication is a very important component to building stability in the workplace. But, just like any other form of interaction, it can also increase the instability if not practiced properly. We have to be careful what we speak and how we speak. Essentially, we have to look at communication as an art, the art of speaking. Be sure to write down key points of what you would like to communicate to your team and rehearse it. I always suggest rehearsing in front of a mirror. This gives you the opportunity to not only hear how you are delivering the message but also to see how you are delivering your message.

Remember, in any difficult situation, communication is always the key to building trust, stability and a more positive work environment.