Leadership...through the eyes of a coach...Alan Booth

CEO'S FEAR OF CONFLICT

2011-08-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

Six of my current clients - CEOs down to Managing Directors - all present with avoidance of direct communication, especially when it comes to outlining "expectations" for each of their staff members.

When I get them to be more comfortable with that, the next challenge is having them provide feedback on the progress being made.

I am learning that top executives avoid these two leadership tasks because of fear of conflict. But most of the time the fear is unfounded as people really want to know what is expected of them and get feedback on how they are doing!

Yesterday I got Bob CEO together to talk about expectations with Joe Operations. A great dance occurred all around the two areas Bob wanted Joe to achieve in his management role. In the debrief Bob related how he "felt the temperature rising" and pointed out how this conversation led Joe to practically explode with defensiveness, "So you think I am a problem in this organization?"

What Bob needs to understand (in our next meeting) is that the trust of his team is eroded because of not being direct around expectations of each player on his staff. It's like the proverbial elephant in the room and Joe reacted accordingly!

Interesting paradox is noted: CEO avoids potential conflict but in so doing conflict is growing because of that avoidance. All managers can benefit from experiencing conflict because putting it on the table creates the right conversation that needs to occur...and creates the accountability for each party to step up to achieve expectations!

THE CHALLENGE OF GOING FROM BIG TO SMALL COMPANY CAREER CHANGE

2011-07-30T07:44:00.000-07:00

Recently an executive at a private equity firm asked me about my experience with CEO's of mid-market companies who come from management positions of Fortune 500 size companies.

He related how the performance of such CEO's are consistently below his expectations - because of their outstanding success at GE, IBM, Goldman Sachs, etc. So what is the solution [besides lowering expectations]?

A sample of CEO's interviewed suggests we should pay attention to:

More targeted interviewing around "success factors" specific to what is required of leadership to achieve in the given company

Identification of potential weaknesses during the interview process - that can be a focus of future coaching when joining the new firm

A structured on-boarding process that helps the newly landed executive develop trusting relationships before invoking change initiatives; structured dialogue around style and expectations of both the new executive and his/her team

Focus on the skills to change the company's culture to better support execution of strategy

Frequent feedback around progress, not only of goal achievement, but of the leadership required to accelerate achievement

One of the biggest barriers to a leader's success that I have observed involves the PE operational executives who either turnover an executive too quickly (and repeat the same problems of hiring and on-boarding) or their pride prevents them from asking for help at the first sign of leadership weaknesses that impact business results.

Coaching can make a difference but my personal preference is to help create the systems and skills that result in better interviewing-selecting-assimilation.

GETTING AHEAD RELATIONSHIPS

2011-07-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

There is no doubt that the majority of successful leaders have developed strong relationships throughout their organization - a skill that got them to "climb the ladder".

As I coach to a high potential manager just coming out of an extensive leadership development program, I need to remind myself that this skill is rarely understood. As my previous post states, 'It's all about them' to start a better relationship. She said, "But I need to sound genuine..."

Good point. One needs to genuinely care about what others do, why they are successful, how they got to where they are and their challenges. Any conversation that even hints of a motive to use another for political purpose simply does not work. That's a big challenge for eager, smart, impatient and passionate managers.

What does the "right" way sound like?

"Bob [two levels above], I keep hearing from your team that you are one of the best people in our organization to work for. I am dealing with a couple of management challenges that I would respect your insights in how to approach. Can we meet?"

This does not need start with a compliment.

"Mary, at the company-wide meeting yesterday, I sensed some frustration around how we are reacting to market pressures. Any advice on how I might step up with my group?"

THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT WAY TO INSPIRE OTHERS TO GREATER PERFORMANCE

2011-07-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

The answer: start every conversation about them - not what you want them to do.

This is the first step in strengthening relationships which results in greater trust which results in people wanting to take action. Oh! That is called "motivation".

You might know Bill who has placed one of his key employees on notice for an attitude that interferes significantly with her being successful with her internal clients. Here is how he has started meetings about her performance: "You know how critical this is to your job security?" [Nice threat, Bill, but won't inspire her to change]. Attempt #2: "Tell me how you are making progress..." [Bill, you know she will tell you what she thinks you want to hear...'doing just fine']

Third meeting: Bill relates how as her manager, he simply does not understand why she comes across as she does - "what goes on in your head that causes you to be firm with people in a way that they feel you are not understanding them?"

Her eventual answer: "Throughout my career I have struggled with developing relationships with people who I feel know more than I, as a lawyer, do. I need to work on this and would appreciate your help."

So you want to inspire others to action? Make your conversations about them, get to know them better and build enough trust so that they want to tell what's really going on in their head when you challenge them. Then you can truly exercise leadership in helping them succeed.

ACCOUNTABILITY IGNORED

2010-10-25T08:17:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year I designed and facilitated a management offsite meeting, focused on better balancing time between technical/business work and the actions of managing others.

But to my surprise [I should have known after 6 years working with this team], the focus became sharply defined as HOW TO CREATE ACCOUNTABILITY among both peers and direct reports as well as support functions. Examples of the problem included:

How do we get IT to keep their commitments?
How can we get everyone to keep deadlines without constant reminders?
When people are stuck, what prevents them from asking for help?
When establishing priorities, how can we keep people from going off on tangents?
What do I do that creates a lack of accountability?

The short answer: create a culture of "owner mindsets" where people genuinely feel it is their job to support each other, to take initiative to discuss ways to improve business functions, to reach out to stakeholders of one's work so they are on the same team.

How do you know when their is a need to address accountability? A frequent one I observe is when a manager points the finger to others as the source of problems or why something has failed.

Another is represented by an executive I am coaching who can not add headcount so wants to increase productivity by moving work to other departments...rather than examine his own leadership in dealing with his own department.

Do you work in an environment of owner mindsets?

THE DREADED BONUS RITUAL

2010-10-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

Yes! The suspense around the annual bonus drives me and others crazy. Will I even receive one this year and, if so, what will it be compared to last year (which was pretty bad).

I propose we throw out the current system - really a lack of a system that is based on the underlying priciples of why we have bonus payments in the first place; that is:

To reward people for their achievements and contribution to company success

To encourage best performers to not jump ship and to achieve even more next year

Overall motivation to meet goals and expectations

The probem as I see it is the lack of connecting individual performance to the payout; secondly the discussion to assure achievement as expected might occur throughout the year but not connected to the "motivator" until the announcement of the bonus.

Oops! The latter is not true at all. When I have asked hundreds of managers how their bonus calculation related to what they achieved (or did not), I get the blank stare. Oh! Perhaps if there is any objective connection it is done at the year's end before rewards are finalized.

But if we are to truly retain top people, turn around weak performers and motivate all in achieving great things, why don't we plan and communicate both goals and expectations up front, in the beginning of the year - then keep the $$$ connected to performance updates through out the year? [I know...we can not promise the actual $$$ but the "score" can be tabulated]

Gee! In a good year, there is significant money on the table to just turn into another entitlement program.

The Paradox of Asking Your Boss for Help

2010-07-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

I am not sure who actually creates this dilemma.

Robert is a direct, quick acting and intense senior manager but is perceived as a most helpful manager who takes pride in helping his people through their challenges. So when his people are up against a stone wall they tend to rush to him and then he intervenes based on the power of his position.

I say "rush" because they could work harder on better communicating and developing relationships to get greater cooperation, especially from peers. They lack motivation because Robert is always the rescuer.

On the other hand, Robert would benefit from understanding that when he rushes in to help, he is neutering his people by sending the message, "you are unable to deal effectively with Anne". And Anne clearly gets that message which empowers her to not step up to help until Robert gets involved.

Whew! The hands-off executive gets hands-on at the wrong time for the wrong reason.

Stay with me. During the last year Rick promoted Mary to his team when Mary's job was reinvented and taken over by a seasoned manager, Mike. Mary is bogged down by tasks from her old job because Mike does not feel this is within his priorities. Mary, the kind person she is keeps helping Mike. Rick talks to Mike but nothing happens. So Rick goes to Robert.

Does Robert solve the problem? No, because he is a hands-off manager who spends 95% of his time with the top of his company, developing strategy and other corporate matters. So he is heard but does not create effective accountability.

If you are still with me, here's the lesson. Using the power of your manager, or even other more powerful people in your organization, carries the risk that you may reduce your own ability to influence others. Step up and learn how to effectively gain cooperation from peers and stakeholders. Your job will be much easier!

Loneliness in the Digital World

2010-07-14T11:54:00.000-07:00

When I was a young kid I was a card carrying intovert, loving the time alone. But through some strange but loving parenting I became an "extreme extravert" craving conversation, meeting new people and challenging others to think outside the box.

I really need help here in the middle of 2010.

As I wait in the lobby of a client for authorization to enter, I finish reading the Journal and realize he is 20 minutes late - realize that when one of his reports comes down to greet me. "Alan, we don't understand why you are waiting; didn't you get Rick's email that he is held up in a meeting?"

Two weeks ago I interviewed a prospective client who wants help in an exit strategy prior to retirement. "We know your credentials and just need to feel comfortable with you...the fit thing, you know." By the end of the meeting after talking about a deceased family member and the pride in taking over the business, she says she is close to tears. I thought that meant the fit was a perfect match, especially after meeting every one of her staff. "I'll call you on Monday to determine when we should start". It has been over two weeks and five attempts to reconnect.

Loneliness in the lobby and loneliness staring at a phone that won't ring back.

Solution?

I purchased an IPhone 4 for immediate email connecting (if only I could fix that darn antenna problem).

But that does not help my need to have live dialogue. In my business of coaching and management consulting, it is the nuances, tone and body language that communicates louder than words.

Where can I go for help?

THE PROBLEM WITH CONSULTANTS

2010-05-20T14:09:00.000-07:00

I recently emailed my client, a president of a global corporation, that I ASAP needed to sit down with him to establish measurable outcomes for each of his direct reports I am working with. We both recognize that a focus on top priorities is critical...but that those may differ in reality or interpretation. As important is helping him meet the expectations of his manager (and I am not yet privy to those details...but should be).

Here is his response:

"Just great, Alan. Glad you are engaged at your usual high
standard. I agree that measurable outcomes are necessary. My axe
with management consultants in the past is they never follow up with us to keep
us honest."

What never surprises me is the lack of clarity of expectations down the chain of command in most organizations. So my role frequently becomes one of helping executives articulate expectations, communicate them effectively and create an owner mindset to achieve.

LEADERS ARE LIKE PHYSICIANS

2010-04-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

Bill (COO) is in the first 6 months of implementing a new product launch and speed is critical to maintaining a critical edge before his competition figures out how the market will shift significantly.

But not everyone is stepping up: deadlines are being missed, meetings are becoming a fertile field for conflict (spoken and unspoken) and IT needs to rearrange their priorities and staffing.

What is the best strategy at this point? Act like a physician to diagnose what is getting in the way.

For every mission critical action there are numerous reasons why people don't make things happen as planned. There is no time for guessing. Here are some examples of what I have encountered:

They don't know how to do what the task demands - but think they do
They don't understand why they should do something [a significant motivation factor]
They think something else is more important
They think their way is better
They lack confidence and become risk averse
They think they are already doing it
You have not listened to their suggestions for doing it more effectively

Without the right diagnosis, the prescription for moving forward is flawed and the prognosis is not where it needs to be!

"WE ARE WORKING MANAGERS YOU KNOW..."

2010-03-12T07:50:00.000-08:00

This is what I frequently hear from those reporting to C-level executives and wonder why. It could be:

"Managing people" takes too much time with less ROI
We hire competent people who should not need managing
We don't know how to effectively manage certain people or situations
I am unwilling to change

The more I explore this mindset the more I find that this is a matter of habit and familiarity; i.e. a syndrome of managers promoted or hired for technical/functional expertise. Those people naturally hold on to what they have done best and have gain satisfaction in doing. But that is not the realm of managing people!

The second explanation is one of modeling how they are and have been managed. This is the predominate means of how one learns how to manage (before any coaching, I might add!).

So how does one receive coaching that is not perceived as taking time away from very busy schedules? Goal setting-observation of actual job functions-debrief-repeat cycle.

BEST INTERVIEW QUESTION

2010-02-15T09:27:00.000-08:00

I was challenged this morning from a Tweet I encountered...to reflect on the most important interview question one can ask. Just one! OK, perhaps the one that you can then follow up with other questions to learn more.

"Tell me about yourself."

That's it. Simple maybe but try it on yourself by having your friends ask you. What do you say? How do you choose what to say?

I can still remember that question when I was being interviewed for a sales position over 25 years ago. My future manager and his manager were in the room. I had no clue where to start so used the "resume format": start from the beginning of my career, cover highlights of each position and and look for a response when to end.

Well, I could not pick up any clues on how my talking was being received, their faces were stone cold frozen. And at the end, I had just one response as one manager said to the other: "He certainly talks a lot but possibly he is trainable and we can fix that."

So was the length of my talk important? Yes, but there was more I learned later as my new manager/mentor taught me:

Can the story tell us about his character?
How does he make decisions?
What is important to him?
Why has he been successful?

At events where I am meeting important prospective clients, I use that question with slight variation. At the Greenwich Leadership Forum, I usually ask, "What attracts you to this event?' or "What do you find is valuable enough at these meetings to bring you out for 6:30 am coffee and discussion?"

The point is to start a conversation where I am not the focus, the other person is. So when I am asked at these type meetings, "what do you do?" I answer with one short sentence and then ask a simple question to engage them.

"I advise and sometimes coach leaders on their most pressing dilemmas; my challenge is getting executives to be vulnerable enough to tell me what keeps them up at night. How might you respond?"

The higher the title of people in transition I help, the more difficulty they seem to have is engaging others. It's the old elevator speech but no personable technique to engage in conversation.

In the formalized atmosphere of being interviewed, the answer then must be short, and compelling enough that the interviewer asks you to continue. That's the challenge.

As an interviewer, I greatly respect the candidate when they talk only for a moment, allowing me to refocus where they are going. "When you talked about your last position, I sensed this was not your most favorite job..." The response can be very telling!

Oh! By the way, to really learn about someone enough to predict their future success working for you: drop the habit of referring to the resume or notes. Look the candidate in the eye and listen well enough to read between the lines to formulate your next series of questions.

THE C.E.O. OF SOMETHING?

2010-02-01T05:36:00.000-08:00

Mark Pincus, chief executive of Zynga, tells the New York Times [Corner Office, January 31, 2010] that he found himself challenged by how to effectively touch everyone in an organization once the growth of his employees exceeded 150.

It was easy to keep everyone informed and going in the same direction with 50 people but when the size grew, it was physically impossible to efficiently communicate with everyone. Adding middle management did not seem the best solution.

So he experimented [successfully] by having everyone charged with figuring out what they wanted to be C.E.O. of. This technique essentially was an act of delegation with accountability.

He said to his people, "By the end of the week, everybody needs to write what you're C.E.O. of, and it needs to be something really meaningful." This then was published so everyone knew who was in charge of what.

He talks about the receptionist who kept talking about needing a new phone system as the company got larger. By putting her in charge of that project, "I don't want to hear about it. Just go buy it. Go figure it out", she was so motivated that no one could have done a better job of solving this need.

From my own experience with clients, whenever we can put people at any level in charge of a meaningful project, they rise to their true level of ability and with a sense of owner mindset.

Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/business/31corner.html?scp=1&sq=corner%20office%20pincus&st=cse

CEO’s LESSONS ON LISTENING

2010-01-02T10:09:00.000-08:00

I was fortunate to have met Jim Young, Chairman and CEO of Union Pacific Corporation, in December where he spoke to the Greenwich Leadership Forum. "The most important lesson I have learned is how to effectively listen - and learned the hard way during the chlorine tank explosion in Louisiana, during our last recession when we needed to rethink our whole model of business and during union negotiations."

Listening skills are the foundation to building trust, creating a culture of innovation and increasing productivity; not to mention better customer loyalty by acting on their feedback. Jim actually makes sure that everyone of his 45,000 employees have his email address!

Then comes along Teresa Taylor, COO at Qwest who says she could not believe it when she heard from people that she was a not a good listener. Her lesson learned ? "Biting my lip, slowing down and then really focusing on what people were saying." [New York Times, Corner Office, 12/27/09]

Doing that better, she learned the technique of listening for better interviewing - by observing candidates over dinner; how they interact with service staff and their decision making when ordering -not to mention the value of a more relaxed environment.

The bottom line: really effective listening is hard to achieve because it involves unlearning behaviors such as impatience, making assumptions about what people are saying (or interpreting their body language and tone). The goal might be re-framed to learning "intuitiveness"; collecting enough dots to connect accurately.

The goal: creating genuine open-mindedness that causes others to offer more of their talent. Without that people get defensive and hold back their best ideas.

A QUESTION YOUR MANAGER NEVER ASKS

2009-11-23T11:23:00.000-08:00

Based on the 146 responses to my LinkedIn question to corporate managers I surveyed on October 8, 2009, I have only one suggesion: managers would greatly benefit from asking a similar question of their people.

The question: What one thing do you need from your manager (not currently getting) to be more effective at your job?

Results:

87% Greater Engagement
.......[44%] More time to be mentored, coached, solve problems, strategize
.......[25%] Regulary feedback
.......[18%] Recognition - "It matters more than $$$ sometimes"
13 % Clear expections and goals - greater focus on priorities

This is really not new information. However, it certainly reinforces the need for leaders to make time for what their people need to be successful!

Having that dialogue can be challenging - doing it as part of one's leadership style takes time.

PICKING UP THE CUES

2009-10-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

Being present enough in conversation to pick up subtle cues from the other person is one of the most difficult skills of leadership.

Take the case of my CEO client, George and his COO Stan. George is an outgoing, passionate leader who expects his staff to be inspired to action when he speaks. Stan is a “thinker” type who is deliberate and patient when dealing with his staff or his manager, George.

Stan feels George has his own agenda and rarely listens to his ideas that he offers to improve the business, develop more effective strategies or deal with the crisis of the day.

In observing Stan and George in one of their weekly meetings, I notice that after a reasonable period of Stan listening to George, he begins to nod his head; which in turn, causes George to wind down his monologue of enthusiastic pep talking.

George’s complaint about Stan (that caused me to be engaged) is his agreement to act on specific ideas but never to follow through to completion.

So I decided to ask Stan about why he is agreeing to George’s passionate request to do things and never act. The response: “I do not always agree with George…in fact, I usually disagree because he never listens to me and my ideas.”

I then realized that the nodding of the head from Stan is a learned behavior that causes George to stop talking, preaching and pep-talking.

By helping George to occasionally take a breath and actively engage Stan on his ideas, things did get done (last year they achieved a 12% increase in revenues).

This all happened when George understood what the head nodding was all about. A simple cue that directly impacted achieving business goals!

THE WRONG MESSAGE WHEN WE GIVE RAISES

2009-07-08T13:03:00.000-07:00

This entry is not about money! It is about how we communicate.

I just asked 10 of my clients how often they hold back giving an annual increase and/or bonus to people who are not meeting their manager's expectations and not producing at a higher level to justify an increase.

The answer: increases in salary or bonus are generally held back only when an employee or manager is nearing a termination decision for whatever reason, hoping that this act will motivate voluntary severance.

So we have "trained" people to expect raises when a company's profits grow and even a bonus has become expected.

Worse is the obvious conflict we are causing with these underperforming "B" players is when we do give them an increase in compensation, we are communicating a very clear message that your performance/output is OK.

So the motivation to changing performance does not change and staffing costs increase.

I asked executives what they feel are better options. They reply: [1] replace these people with those who perform better, [2] tolerate their level of performance, [3] reward them less than the previous payout.

What about not giving them an annual increase (especially if they are up to a market level benchmark) and no bonus? Most of my contacts said this would cause more grief than it is worth.
But every single person I have talked to in the past 8 years about this dilemma (118 in one study) 98% admit that they could improve the clarity of measurable expectations for their people...expectations that one could manage to...and compensate according to measurable success!

Why doe this not happen? "We are too busy." So how long does it take to have this dialogue to establish expectations? In my experience, no more than 2 meetings of about 2 hours each maximum per year. Oh! Both the manager and his/her reports should spend some time preparing for these meetings. Add another hour per year.

The result: pay for performance on an individual basis.

So again, why don't we make the time to have the very basic and critical discussion about expectations of our people? Why don't we have a performance management system that impacts performance?

My guess: lack of knowledge of how to do it and changing the leadership culture of manageing to expectations.

PRIDE REPRISE

2009-06-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

Here it is only June 30, 2009 and I am back writing again about pride, this time because of Bernie Madoff.

From the New York Times: "...Mr. Madoff had apologized for the harm he inflicted on the clients who had trusted him, his employees and his family. He blamed his pride, which would not allow him to admit his failures as a money manager."

As leaders we all have to maintain our reputation that got us to where we are. But the paradox of being humble and human enough to admit mistakes or not being at the level we want to be (self criticism is powerful stuff) raises the positive value of how others see us...not the opposite.

So I ask my leader friends, what have you been humble about lately? Or, what mistakes have you admitted and asked help from peers or even your staff? What were the reactions from others?

I'll start.

Not long ago I provided feedback to a CEO that was a result of personal interviews of his staff. I provided literal quotes that represented the overall group's sense of what it is like working for this person. The mistake? Moving too fast and not taking one key issue at a time which caused unproductive defensiveness. I will be humble about this during our next meeting even though I risk being "disengaged".

You see, I will fight hard to not let my pride poke its ugly head. That pride would eliminate the trust I need to rebuild to have a meaningful relationship.

"B" PLAYERS DILEMMA

2009-06-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

Just had lunch with Brad Miller, Chairman of Perimeter Internetworking http://www.perimeterusa.com/ and discussed the dilemma of what to do with "B" players who one inherits through acquisition or the job outgrows them.

One challenge is the expectation of an annual increase when one does not increase their output; thus effectively reducing company margin.

But we do need steady people who are OK in the role they play and do not expect significant changes; the example offered by Brad is the accounts payable clerk.

I always give people the benefit of the doubt that in the right job they can be challenged to give more, increase their value through change in role, skill development and inspiring leadership. Is this easy? NO.

But I can not agree to just accept "B" players as they are. We just need to work harder at learning how to better fit people and engage them to become "A" players as a minimal expectation for employment.

IS PRIDE A GOOD THING?

2009-06-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

I told a friend this weekend that “I help executives deal with pride.”

At first he thought I was dealing with people who did not take pride in their organization or their people who did not take pride in their work.

Wrong!

I was referring to those executives whose ego gets in the way of hearing their people express what they think is important for the success of their organization. Worse are those who listen but their pride distorts their understanding…or their pride reverts to anger or frustration.

This is not to diminish the genuine pride an executive should have in building a strong enterprise that continues to grow in this recession of 2009. It is when pride gets in the way that we need to address the implications.

For example:
Employees not having their ideas acted on because leadership needing to be the generator of new approaches to the business.
Executives who are "too busy" because they are reluctant to delegate decision-making with trust
Organizations that have low trust of executives because their engagment with the organization is primarily "telling" but less genuine listening
Employees who really do not understand what is expected of them.

Managers and employees ask, “If we do not know where we are going, how can we be expected to perform in ways to get us there?”

This is truly a challenge I encounter in the beginning of every coaching and consulting assignment: where are we going and how will we know when we arrive? Pride (too much of it) causes lack of clear communication; “Only I know what is happening”.

How does a coach help the issue of pride? With lots of praise and admiration balanced with small does of reality (feedback). One beginning approach is the question, “What is it like working for (executive)?”

It is amazing how this begins to encourage an individual to verbalize some of the “truths” that have been previously ignored.

Example: after a 1.5 hour meeting where the CEO passionately talked 98% of the time, I asked what he thought it was like sitting as a staff member. At first he talked about his entertaining passion and the exciting news he was announcing; but the comments changed when I asked him why, when he asked a question, no one answered!

“Maybe I should involve my staff better!” This does not diminish pride…it just puts it into better balance with other people’s needs as contributing employees.

THE MOST IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP SKILL

2009-05-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

There really is only one most important leadership skill. Listening.

It is that ability that measurably differentiates great leaders and mangers from the not so great. Great listening inspires people to action, influences people more effectively, prevents conflict and is the one factor that is most powerful in dealing with change.

Maybe you caught the April 2009 New York Times interview of James J. Schiro, C.E.O. of Zurich Financial Services where he was asked: What is the most important leadership lesson you’ve learned?

A. It’s the ability to listen, and to make people understand that you are listening to them. Make them feel that they are making a contribution, and then you make a decision. I don’t think any one individual is so brilliant that they know all of the answers. So you’ve got to have a sense of inclusiveness.

My experience?

No matter the title or role of a leader, my clients typically do an exceptional job hearing and frequently listen to the point of listening; i.e. taking the time to understand others. The critical leadership skill; however, is having people feel they are understood!

"COACHING" IS A BAD WORD

2009-05-07T13:14:00.000-07:00

Most of you who are or have been my clients rarely call me a coach but usually refer to me as a consultant.

I have figured out why that is; a “coach” could be misinterpreted to mean “As your leader, I have a significant enough challenge to have to engage this coach-guy. Almost like admitting one is seeing a therapist. Ouch!

But the bigger problem for me is how to inform people what I do, rather HOW do I help leaders achieve key goals they struggle with? So what is the word for the skills of being a consultant, coach, advisor, trainer, mentor…using all in a typical day with a client?

My newly found colleague, Sue Melone of BoldTrek, Inc. says she just tries not to use the wordcoach.

I guess I am back to talking only to the challenges I help resolve: getting greater focus on the most critical business imperatives, getting others to aligned to those imperatives and increasing the effectiveness of engaging with one’s organization that people work with an owner mindset.

ACCOUNTABILITY: Your Job or Mine?

2008-11-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

The most frequently heard dilemma I hear from managers in my NYU Leadership class is creating accountability of their direct reports. My coaching and consulting clients agree and describe the challenge around getting others to step up their performance...to think creatively, lead change with greater initiative and deal proactively with people issues rather than ignore them.

Yesterday a CEO called me for help with his VP Marketing, describing disorganization and weak time management that could risk millions in lost business. In over one year nothing has changed. So, where is the ownership of this problem...with him or his VP?

The question I ask is: "How can we create an owner mindset with this person?"

My experience with the past 10 clients I have worked with this year shows that leaders & managers do more to NOT create "ownership" but cause the opposite: a dependency bordering on a "permission" relationship.

Second is the observation that leaders are not clear enough communicating their expectations, not only the measuable results but the actions most critical to achieving those results.

The test: ask any of your people what they think you expect of them, this week, month or quarter. Their response will provide the kind of feedback that will guide you to being more clear, more frequently and greater commitments on both sides...witch will begin to shift the accountabity to where it belongs.

Why Managers Need to Coach

2008-04-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

I had a surprise last week when I was asked to be an instructor at NYU Graduate School of Leadership & Human Capital Management…perhaps more surprised when I learned they wanted me to teach one of six courses on Coaching.

The class comprised of a group of Gen X/Y and Millenials. Why are they interested in learning coaching skills? Because their experience in being managed in traditional ways has taught them that as managers themselves they need new ways to motivate, inspire and support their people to be satisfied and productive contributors.

But a series of graduate level courses on coaching? Blew me away that what I have been teaching and preaching for over 30 years has come to this. Now that I think about it, When I was working on my MBA we were taught “coaching” but it was then termed Theory “X” and Theory “Y”.

Not much, then, has really changed. A predominate number of mangers get appointed because of their technical expertise and manage others based on how they were (are) managed. Just like becoming a parent!

So I am delighted to have the opportunity to really help managers understand new ways to be instrumental in causing greater success in others.

RANDY STILL NEEDS HELP

2008-03-20T12:56:00.000-07:00

Do you remember my client, Randy? [My History with Randy]

He is the high assertive CEO who struggles with the paradox: "the harder I work at causing accountability with my people, the less they seem to deliver".

At a December meeting, he said, "You should know that you went down a different path than I wanted you to." Gulp. "With all of the work you have done with my VP's you got me to realize I also had to make some changes; and that is really hard work!" Whew!

We laughed, but not for long. Randy wanted me to help turn around his Operating Executive, Tom. This is "code" for "I need more coaching but working my challenges through your work with Tom will be easier for me." This is one reason why I always involve the coachee's manager.

Why is Tom a challenge for Randy? As direct as Randy is, Tom is indirect; slower paced, less demanding of his people and more tolerant of performance gaps.

So how can we deal with this situation - opposite styles and lack of accountability?

Coach Randy to tone down his assertiveness
Encourage Tom's confidence

This process seems to be working:

1:1 meetings with Tom are boosting his confidence
We are moving him away from full staff meetings to short one-on-one weekly meetings where he works on his people's commitments for action
We are teaching him the language to deal with broken commitments
Randy-Tom-Coach meetings around key business issues where my role is to prompt Randy when his assertiveness causes Tom to withdraw. For example, a simple glance at my watch is the cue to stop talking and ask Tom his opinion.
Immediately after meetings with Tom, Randy and I debrief by playing on Randy's competitiveness. The winner is who can recall all of the situations where Tom was not meeting Randy's expectations -- and why!

Results to-date? Sales are up 5.4%

Do You Know Randy?

2007-12-08T05:32:00.000-08:00

Senior leaders I have known for years thought I should think seriously about publishing my coaching experiences as they would learn from them. So here is my first "case study":

IS IT ME OR THEM?

Randy, the top executive at his company, called me because “the lack of accountability of my people is impacting our growth…and causing me growing stress”.

Do you know Randy? He is a passionate hands-on leader, highly directive with little patience for discussions that attempt to change his mind about how to grow his company.

The paradox trap: the harder he works to get his people more focused on priorities (his), the less the results. Emphasis is on “his” priorities, not necessarily those of his team!
Causing Greater Individual and Team Accountability

So…to increase accountability, is the solution around “them” or is it “me”? In the end, Randy discovered that he was as much a part of the problem as his people were! What we did:

[1] For Randy to understand what it is like to work for him, we interviewed each of his direct reports around 10 leadership qualities and asked, “To achieve your goals, what one thing do you need from Randy?” Two feedback points:

■ He proudly accepted being labeled a micro-manager
■ Being classified as a card carrying poor listener caused him to admit that maybe “I don’t know what I don’t know”

[2] Facilitated discussions with his direct reports around accelerating growth, surfaced issues never put on the table before…but critical to causing greater accountability and action. Some of Randy’s progress:

■ “When I reject new ideas, I might be too quick to think through, needing to hold on to my own strategies. I now understand why this can stop ideas from coming to me”
■ “Meeting participation is less than productive because I take 80% of the voice time…I can change that.” Actually I strong armed him to stop attending certain meetings.

Post meeting debriefs gradually helped Randy recognize: to get what he wants, he needs to also change, especially in modeling what he wants from his people.

So he ended up with more time on his hands…and more time for golf is a good thing when key customers are teeing off (and not being teed off as before!). And 15% annual growth to boot.
Alan Booth – Gilman Performance Systems, Inc. 203.454.3502

Why Not the Truth Be Told?

2007-10-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

This is the truth...it happened last week.

A departmental meeting I was facilitating involved the different styles people use in communicating with others. "How do you recognize one's style with the four choices described?" I asked. "Let's work together with a simple technique, attempting to profile our leader's style...remembering this is based only on what we observe...no judgments."

So I continued by asking the group of 20 people various questions such as what words, eye contact and use of hands denote where on the assertiveness scale the leader usually is.

SILENCE

Mary speaks up, "The silence you hear is because our boss is in the room...duh!"

After the meeting I approach Mr. Leader and asked what it felt like having his people be uncomfortable talking about what they are observing about him…even after the heartfelt permission he expressed.

“What I really worry about is [1] the really important ideas and challenges they restrain from talking to me about and [2] what I do that causes my people to hold back on the truth when invited to do so.”

“I believe I am seen as an open person who does not criticize others or use a lot of negative consequences. Maybe I need to ask better questions, listen better and watch for the cues that tell me there is more that needs to be said.”

Finally I ask Mr. Leader, “is your relationship with your manager trusting enough that you can tell him the level of truth he is asking or even demanding from you?”

Stay tuned for Chapter 2. The story line on truth suddenly changes!

STRESS & PERFORMANCE...YOURS AND THEIRS

2007-10-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

I woke up a 4:30 AM this morning because of stress...thus this entry.

While attending the NHMA meeting of business owners last week, my name tag that listed my expertise as STRESS seemed to have started a lot of discussion! And in introducing myself to the 50 attendees as an executive coach who helps business excutives deal with the stress of growing their businesses, I was totally surprised that the room broke out laughing...but not in a humorous way.

What I learned from these successful people: [1] stress no doubt impacts ones performance, even if it is not prolonged or severe, [2] executives tend to think 'it comes with the territory' rather than take action to deal with it, and [3] stressors tend to be those things we think we don't have control over...especially other people, direct reports, customers, regulatory agencies, etc.

What they learned from me: to determine the real cause(s) of stress, followed by a strategy to make changes within one's self and in key relationships, can be achieved through the help of a coach. Exercise can reduce the symptoms but finding the source takes help from others one can trust.

My experience includes:

A business owner who had his wife in his business [solution involved a generous severance package]
The paradox of not delegating authority to others as a way to get more control [solutions involve designing delegation of tasks that are less significant to business outcomes to prove the paradox is true]
The inability to provide honest feedback to others (including customers) [solution is changing the words, timing and tone with the intent of mutual wins...realizing both parties want honest feedback]
Being a "tough boss" who is too busy to provide direct feedback, but really doesn't hold others accountable because their methods do not seem to work [solutions involve facilitated meetings]

Here's to a stress-free day...for you and those around you!

How Does Your Mindset Impact Profits?

2007-10-02T03:51:00.000-07:00

I am not talking about attitudes but mindsets, the actions and behaviors that can be seen in the way people approach doing their work.

Bob Ebers has coined the terms "OWNER-RENTER-VISITOR" mindsets and these can be quantified in a way to predict their impact on a company's ability to generate profits.

Take the case of a newly appointed Senior Vice President who took the risk to find out where his people landed in this mindset scheme and then have them meet as a group. Would you predict most of his VP's had an owner mindset? If you did, you are dead wrong. Most were renters. Fortunately none were found to be visitors...but some were close.

Here's a twist on reality: in some groups we found that the VP was a renter but their direct reports were ranked as having an owner mindset. Could this be the case of managers being too hands on, poor delegaters, micromanagers or focused more on improving people without a good old pat on the back once in awhile?

Whatever the labels, virtually all managers in this group agreed that they could all become more "owner" in their mindsets AND discovered ways they could help their people move from renter to owner. Best of all, the numbers back up their new strategy...and the increased profits that were forecasted would directly impact take home pay!

Coaching for Profit Growth

2007-07-05T12:49:00.000-07:00

I almost became a believer when Jim [potential client’s manager] said he is looking for a coach for one of his managers…”but nothing touchy-feely because we have business to do here.”

As a formally trained scientist, I need proof before believing…either research or my own experience.

The question I wanted to ask [but did not]: Does touchy-feely erode profits, either directly or indirectly? Show me and I might believe. Of course the unspoken message was, “I am not comfortable with talk about feelings…that’s for other people.”

Beware of Coaches at Parties

2007-07-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

“What do you do for work?” asks the woman I am standing next to at a 4th of July celebration party.

I reply, “I am in the helping profession and I would like to help you…enjoy this party and stop thinking about work. Are you in a particular crisis or is this the norm for you to be a bit preoccupied about your work…or lack thereof?”

When you are in a “helping profession” like coaching, picking up the cues is fundamentally important. Then, how you connect the cues creates a story unknowingly revealed by the coachee (in this case a coachee candidate).

Could sound threatening to the executive wishing to not be figured out so quickly, but the best candidates are those who really do want to be figured out, understood and within a trusting relationship.

So at the next party or even at lunch, don’t believe for a minute that a good coach can’t begin to understand what kind of day you are having!