The Enlightened Manager

Post-Thanksgiving Thoughts (Myths and Truths)

Good Morning Enlightened Managers,

Today I'd like to write a bit about the myths that we live by.

Here in the U.S. we're just now recovering from Thanskgiving weekend, a celebration that usually involves family, large quantities of food, and statements of gratitude.  It theoretically springs from the idea that Native Americans provided a feast to early settlers on the continent during a difficult winter.  Of  course it doesn't take much digging to realize that the historical basis for Thanksgiving is a cheerful myth.  Settlers stole from Native American tribes, treated them like animals, and were a source of killer diseases. 

When I was a kid, schools would re-enact the mythical Thanksgiving feast with a show of Pilgrims, "Indians" and colorful turkeys cut out from construction paper. It wasn't until I was older that I got a taste of what history was really like.  (For an excellent book on history - check out "Lies My Teacher Told Me.")

Likewise, in this season of holidays children are excited about the idea of Santa Claus coming to deliver presents.  I went to the Seattle Thanksgiving parade yesterday, and the kids were the happiest to see "Santa" arrive, out of all of the other floats and visual treats.

And someday, kids will learn the truth about Santa's workshop (typically located in their parent's closet) and they will either accept it or feel betrayed.

I suppose all these things makes me wonder about why we choose to live by myths, and then indoctrinate our new people into them, when we know that the truth doesn't measure up to the story?

I suspect the motive comes down to manufacturing the kind of beliefs we want our people to have.  When we tell kids that Thanksgiving was about friendship and sharing, we are telling them "Adults are good, and they do the right thing."  When we tell stories about Santa, we tell them "It's good to have wonder and excitement... at your age."  And likewise at employee orientation when we talk about company values and stories, we are trying to set up another kind of belief system. (Which may or may not be based in reality, depending on the company.)

Perhaps it is humbug of me, but I'd rather have the reality than than the myth.  I want to live with clear-eyed honesty about myself, others, and our shared past.  And as I think this, I wonder if there is a true idea behind all the myths.

The idea that we want to be better than we are?   I can understand that.

Abandoning the Culture of Blame

I was talking to an HR leader last week who is struggling with a difficult issue.  His organization has a culture of blame instead of accountability.

How to Identify a Culture of Blame

* The first reaction to a problem is to find out who is responsible.
* People are secretive and territorial.
* There is a lack of willingness to take intelligent risks.
* Information is hoarded, out of fear others will "use it against us."

There are several reasons that a culture of blame is a bad thing.  First and foremost, it tends to get organizations stuck in place.  No one is sharing information, no one is innovating, and everyone is playing it safe.  It's the fastest way to ensure your organization falls behind the curve intellectually and operationally.

Blame-focused organizations also miss out on great opportunities.  People don't try new things, and the best part of mistakes (it's the learning!) are never discovered.  Also, the fear and worry combined with the secretiveness tend to make good performers leave.

Changing a Culture of Blame is difficult.  Here are some tips for when you are stuck in the fray.

1. Reflect back what you see.

Change begins with awareness, and someone has to be the brave one and bring the subject up.

"Have you noticed that every time something goes wrong we tend to focus on finding someone to blame?  I wonder if this helps us or hurts us."

"I worry that people in our company are so afraid to make mistakes that they just don't try anything new anymore."

2. Set an example for others to follow.

This might mean acting less territorial than your peers, empowering your employees to take sensible risks, and talking about the value of learning from our mistakes.

3. Build Alliances.

Find some peers and ask them if they feel that blame is an organizational habit.  Ask them to engage with you in changing the patterns in the company. 

Culture change is not easy, and it usually works best when upper management is involved in the discussion.  Sometimes you just need to do the best with what you have.  We all have the option of changing our own behavior, even when those around or above us are resistant.

Thoughts?

A Simple Teambuilding Exercise for Stressed Groups

When times get tense and there is a lot going on, people tend to bottle up their feelings.  And while few people want to get into a big emotional kum-ba-yah at work, there is a lot of power in sharing some of those feelings.  When we talk about our hopes and fears, we transition from feeling stressed to acting on the things that matter. 

Here is a quick (1-1.5 hour) teambuilding exercise I like to use to help people get past stress and begin being productive.  You'll need a topic that you think people are stressed about, index cards, and two containers.

1) The Topic - Pick something simple that people are worried or stressed about.  Examples include: "Team Morale"  "Our Customer Service" and "Our Sales Process."  Choose something specific, but phrase it broadly enough that people can share a variety of hopes and worries.

2) Supplies - Get two containers.  I like to use big colorful buckets, like you might bring to the beach.  You'll also want a thick stack of index cards and some markers or pens.

3) Label one bucket "Hopes" and one bucket "Fears" or "Worries."

4) Share the topic for the discussion, then ask people "What worries you about TOPIC?"  What are your hopes/aspirations for TOPIC?"  Have people jot down their hopes and worries, one per index card.  Have them drop these into the appropriate bucket.  (Do not ask people to put their names on the cards.)

5) When that step is complete, dump out the cards, keeping them separate for each bucket.  Have the team group them into categories and discuss using the questions below as a guide.

Worries/Fears

- What kind of things are we worried about?
- Are these realistic worries?
- Which ones can we take action on, and which ones are out of our control?
- What steps should we take (if any) to address these concerns?

Hopes/Aspirations

- What are our hopes?
- Can our hopes become reality?
- How can we nurture and support our best hopes?
- Are there opportunities to take action on these items?

Record any conclusions that you come to, and follow up or act as appropriate.  It is best to always include a "what should we do about this?" kind of question, so that the group begins taking action, not just airing their feelings.

Also, as the leader you should not judge or criticize what people put in the buckets.  We're asking for feelings, and while you may not agree with them, you will erode trust if you "slam" someone for sharing something authentic.  It's OK to offer counterpoints, but not to tell others that their feelings are false.

Preserving your Intelligence: Boosting Problem Solving

Do you love your brain?  I love mine. My ability to think clearly, problem solve, and come up with creative solutions is very much part of who I am, and without those abilities I would feel lost.

Dr. John Medina who wrote the book Brain Rules has a talk up on Youtube, and he says that with only 20 minutes of exercise three times per week, we can preserve the "executive function" (Problem solving, Emotional Control) of our brain well into old age.

You can see the full video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IK1nMQq67VI

They can even show how problem solving gets better once people have been on a mild exercise program for just a few months.  Makes you think twice about the importance of work/life balance right?

For both you and your staff, a healthy body means a smarter brain.  Let's get moving.

Uncovering our Biases: A Web Tool

I watched an interesting special on public television over the weekend, affiliated with the magazine Scientific American.  It talked about how our decisions are influenced by our unconscious mind, and how we are less logical than we believe ourselves to be.

One of the things they looked at was the Implicit Association Tests being done at Harvard University.  They've developed a series of tests where they test your automatic associations between different things.  For example, do you have an automatic preference that favors Caucasian people over African American people?

I took that test, and this is what it said:

Your Result Your data suggest a slight automatic preference for European American compared to African American.

The interpretation is described as 'automatic preference for European American' if you responded faster when European American faces and Good words were classified with the same key than when African American faces and Good words were classified with the same key. Depending on the magnitude of your result, your automatic preference may be described as 'slight', 'moderate', 'strong', or 'little to no preference'.

The tests are designed to go quickly, to capture your automatic responses.  You can take some of the association tests here.

Most of us have biases of one kind or another, and they are often unconscious, borne of our experiences, culture, and social groups.  But will we be helpless to abide by them?  I don't think we need to be. The trick is to be as aware of them as you can be, so you can "check" your thoughts and actions when you realize a bias may be at work. 

I like to learn about my biases so I can examine them, and (like in the example of the bias listed above) work to challenge my thinking.  When I see a bias (however slight and unconscious) towards a particular group, it just reinforces that I have more work to do to bring my thinking in line with my values.

Curious about your biases?  Check it out.

Environment and Effectiveness: Setting Yourself Up to Thrive

I'm one of those people who generally believes I am the one in control of my life and destiny.  Are you?

One of the downsides of being this kind of person is that when you fail or struggle, it can be so easy to beat yourself up over it.  "Why can't I get this right?" you ask yourself.  Then you worry that you are weak, not competitive, or perhaps even lazy.

One of the things that I don't think about often enough is this idea of "an environment that supports success."  Well, I do think about it for my clients, but I don't think about it for myself often enough.  So let me ask you, Enlightened Leaders - do you put yourself in an environment that supports your success?

Most of you know I recently moved from the suburbs to the city, but what I haven't mentioned is the transformative effect it's had on some of my goals.  Being in close proximity to my clients, to the grocery store, to my business associations - it has simply made everything easier.  I am more productive, spending less time in the car, and I'm getting a ton of exercise without much effort.  I feel like a well-oiled consulting machine - happy and nearly unstoppable.

Being this productive, being this active, it simply felt like more work when I lived further away from everything. 

I am the same person, with the same goals and drive, but putting myself in a new environment has increased my health and effectiveness.  I didn't change *me*, but I did change my context.

It's got me wondering about the big impact our environment has on us.  Sometimes a change of scene makes a big change in our lives.  Is your environment supporting you and your goals?  Just something to think about, as you make your way through your week.

47% of Workers have Left a Job Because of Management

Have you ever left a job because of bad management? 

The Chartered Management Institute in the U.K. just released a study showing that almost half of the workforce in that region has left a job because of bad management. 

 I swear, one of these days I should stop being surprised by these statistics, but the numbers are simply so high, it is difficult to get one's head around the cost.

The story of course, isn't one of "evil managers" and "beleaguered employees" at war with each other.  This is usually a story of good people, making bad choices, and doing so because of a lack of skill and communication in the workplace.  This is also a story about a colossal waste of revenue, as good workers turn over and companies are required to re-recruit and re-train.

Some of the "worst" managers I've ever worked with were wonderful people, and completely capable of becoming great once they acknowledged they had work to do.

Let's do the work to reduce these numbers.  I know that it's something you're working on, dear readers.  I love the idea of changing the world, but it seems there is still a lot of work ahead of us!

Thanks to Adi @ CMI for the information.  You can view the survey results by clicking here.

Leadership Lessons from the Gym - Don't Build on a Shaky Foundation

I had dinner with friends the other night, and before we went out to eat they came over to work out with me at our local gym.  One of my friends is a personal trainer with a very successful practice, and he surprised me by giving me a very simple set of expercises to follow.

They were not hard.  They were not tiring, but they were precise.

In the end, he asked if I had "enough" exercise, and I remarked that I was far less tired than I was used to being after a workout.  He commented that it was important to build a good foundation of core muscles before you work out too hard.  He said that the small mistakes I make in body movement just get replicated during hard workouts, and then they cause strain and problems later on.

"If your foundation is weak, you need to build that first before you are ready to do more intense workouts."

If it is true for the body - can it also be true for the workplace? It got me thinking about this idea of building a solid foundation for our leadership practice before we take on too much.  So often we take our good people and we throw them into the fire.  If they get the work done, that is great, but what foundation are they building on.

Little bad habits, repeated over and over, may cause strain.

What does a "shaky foundation" in a manager?

- Poor feedback skills.
- Insecurity/defensiveness.
- Lack of Listening
- Blindness to Strengths/Weaknesses in a Team
- Making excuses for self or others.
- Weak Planning/Procrastinating
- Weak Critical Thinking Skills
- Weak Project Management Skills
- Lack of Assertiveness

It's easy to see how small things can multiply over a career, causing long term problems.  I love the way that we can fix these things early, and build a good foundation.  And as we all mentor and encourage our less experienced managers, it is so important that we help them build that foundation for themselves.

Something to think about.  Meanwhile, I'll be working on the foundation for my physical fitness.  For great workout tips, check out www.survivalseattle.com and Cody's newsletter.

Dysfunction: When the Manager is a Problem

I wanted to write about a question I got at a recent talk I was giving.  My local HR Chapter, Lake Washington HR Association, was celebrating 30 years by holding a full day symposium with featured speakers.  I gave a workshop on Healing Dysfunctional Teams.

And I got a question that I get pretty often.  "How do I approach a manager if they are part of the problem?"

Well, I think the answer to this one is simpler than it seems.  Most dysfunction in groups is caused by a pattern of unproductive behavior.  And almost always, both employees and the manager are playing a part in that behavior.  So no matter the "cause" of the dysfunction, we need employees and the manager to work together on the issue.

Your leverage points for approaching a manager with Dysfunctional Patterns:

1) Find out what is bothering them about the team.  This shouldn't be hard, because no one enjoys being a part of a dysfunctional group.

2) Talk to them about the importance of gathering data.  This means getting information on the problems they see, and the problems others see.  Stress that a full picture is needed to make improvements.

3) Present the data back to the team and manager unemotionally.  "This is what I heard."  Get the reaction and talk about potential solutions.

4) Talk about the difference between intention and impact.  "Joe - I know that you are surprised to hear that many employees feel that expectations are not clear. I know you think you've been clear, so that must be frustrating. But do still have a situation where people are confused.  We should clear up that confusion - don't you think?"

They key to all of this is "no judgment."  You are there to help the manager and the team, not judge them or criticize them.  Most people will value help, and so your tone is key.

If you coach managers - you might find this resource helpful as well:

Download eBook
 

Life as a Playground: Creativity and Change

Today I want to write a little about how to change people.  As leaders, we're asked to change the behavior of others all the time.  Whether it is a "little thing" like changing the script our customer service reps use when they answer the phone, or a "big thing" like changing the way we think about customers, change is the currency of leadership.

One of the things I hear a lot is that people "resist" change.  And you know what?  They do, especially when the change is handed to them as a mandate.  One way to break that pattern of resistance is to give people a say "however small" in what the change will be.

Why does engagement work?  Simple - When we invite people to create a change, it puts them in a different mindset.  Think back to a child you know (or the child you were) coloring a picture with crayons.  If you were to point at the picture and say "No, that is wrong, you need to do it this way" you are likely to upset them.  If you pull out a fresh sheet of paper, give them the color you want them to use, and say "Let's draw an apple." they are ready to begin creating.

We are like those children - all grown up in our business suits.  We are not built to follow orders blindly, but we do have a deep capacity for creativity and making an even better future.  As leaders we can tap into that ability for more creative solutions and less resistance to change.

As leaders, we can shape the future by helping people make good choices as they create.  (Think about that Mom handing over a red crayon instead of the whole box.)  And the good news is that people will generally make something better than we could have conceived alone.

Give people permission to create.  Set some boundaries so they are achieving what the organization needs.  And then sit back and be delighted by what they come up with.

Life is a playground.  Our toys are different, and the stakes are different, but there is a lot we can gain by capturing the creativity of the people around us.

Just some thoughts for a rainy Tuesday.

If you'd like some strategies for building creativity in your team - check out the free resources page on my new website.  The download is free.