The Enlightened Manager

Giving Yourself Room to Change

Hey Enlightened Managers,

Today I wanted to write a little bit about the subject of personal growth and how it's important to give ourselves enough space for it to happen.

Let's say you want to adopt a new habit.  When we go through personal growth, it tends to happen in a series of phases.  I'll outline an example here:

1.  We identify a need for change.

"I need to stop taking it personally when my boss critiques my performance."

2.  We get educated.

"I read a book about being open to feedback."

3.  We notice opportunities for the new behavior, usually after the fact.

"My boss critiqued me today, and I felt like crap. I really should know better by now."

4.  We notice opportunities for the new behavior, but we fail to act.

"My boss critiqued me, and I knew I shouldn't get upset, but I got upset anyway."

5.  We attempt the new behavior, with mixed results.

"My boss critiqued me today, and I didn't get offended.  Perhaps a little, but it was much better than usual."

6.  We retry the new behavior, with good results.

"I accepted feedback gracefully today.  I did it!"

7.  Sometimes we do the new behavior, and sometimes we don't.

"I have my good and bad days."

8.  We practice the new behavior consistently, and it becomes a part of us.

"I'm pretty good about accepting criticism.  It's something I've learned how to do."

One of my clients, a pretty wise guy, said to me that he just does his best every day and then eventually he looks back and sees that he's grown.  Professional growth is kind of like that.  So that's my message for you today.  Be patient and give yourself room to go through the process.

Growth takes a little time. :)

To Win, we must be willing to Lose.

I've noticed something lately, and it is worrying me.  It is that idea that sometimes we can be so afraid of what we'll lose, that we are unwilling to take the risks that are necessary to make things better.

I wish I could create a positive corporate culture, but I am too afraid to offend my VPs by telling them about the negativity I see.

I wish I could create a better product, but I'm afraid that if I push too hard on "quality" that I'll be labeled as someone who gets in the way of progress.

I wish I could raise the bar on performance, but if I tell my boss I'm going to do that, I'll look like a fool if I fail.

Here is the reality check.  Everywhere I go as a consultant there is a level of fear associated with change.  Fear of sticking one's neck out.  Fear of change.  Fear of being associated with anything that smacks of criticism of the "old way."  Fear of "crossing" a powerful executive.  Fear of failure, and fear of being fired.

There are organizations out there (plenty of them!) where the fear of change is so great that smart people are sitting on thier ideas, unwilling to take the personal risk of making things better.  Keeping thier jobs is more important than advocating for change - and we all have bills to pay.  Who can blame them?

I suppose that is one of the reasons why it helps to work with a consultant.  That tough message of change can come from an "outsider/expert" and it can reduce the fear level a bit.  But it brings me to a bigger question.

What are leaders doing to address the fear of change?  What are leaders doing to promote a culture that accepts reasonable risks, and to send the message that failure goes hand in hand with success? 

I am a fairly positive person, but I often find myself saddened by all the mediocrity I see in organizations.  When we are afraid to fail, we are afraid to win.

Something we need to get better at.  Something I'm thinking about today.

Thoughts?

Creating Culture Change in Organizations: Part III - Doing it Right

Now that we've looked at what organizational culture is and some of the common mistakes that leaders make when creating a culture change, let's look at some of the factors that make a culture change process go more smoothly.

Remember that force field diagram from the last post?  Here is another one but with very different outcomes (click to enlarge):

Note that in this example, the "negative" forces of employee resistance are still in place. Resistance to change is part of human nature, and so it should always be a part of your planning.  In this example though, the organization has taken affirmative steps to ensure that the end result is a culture change that will actually succeed.

Success Strategy #1: Tapping into Prevailing Strengths

In this organization, employees are confident and think they are already doing very well.  Rather than tell them they are *not* doing well, management has decided to position this change as "one more challenge" that the organization is ready to tackle.  The message of change is there, but it is wrapped in an acknowledgment of the team's strengths.

Success Strategy #2: Building from a Strong Foundation

Before this leadership team launched a major change initiative, they ensured (through surveys) that they were trusted as a leadership team.  In fact, they spent over a year taking steps to improve the trust in the organization before they made significant changes at an employee level.

Success Strategy #3: Engaging the Workforce

While top management had some concrete ideas about what kind of culture changes they wanted to make, they didn't announce them as holy writ.  Instead, they created several focus groups and committees where interested employees (at all levels) could participate in defining the new culture and identifying ways to make it happen.  A consultant facilitated those committees, but leadership was involved, and was pleased that many of the ideas coming out of those committees fit nicely with the goals they outlined as a leadership team.  Those committee members became "early adopters" and evangelists for the new culture.

Success Strategy #4: Reinforcement

After a lot of discussion and information gathering, the company had an authentic set of operating principles that captured the new culture. They already had "fans" scattered throughout the company ready to make them happen.  But they started small, selecting a few key changes that needed to happen, and reinforcing those changes through performance reviews and management training.  Every year for five years they built on those changes, moving from small victories to larger ones.

The result?  An organization with rampant turnover and mediocre employee performance transformed into one of the regions most admired companies.  They did it right.  Are you ready to do it right too?

I hope you enjoyed this 3-Part series on transforming organizational culture.  If you have any thoughts or stories on your experiences with culture change, I'd love to hear them.

Cheri Baker is an organizational development consultant based near Seattle, WA.  You can read more about her services and download free resources at her website.

To learn more about force field diagrams, a diagnostic tool developed by Kurt Lewin, you can find information here or here.

Creating Culture Change in Organizations: Part II - Common Mistakes

In the last post we defined organizational culture and where it comes from.  Today we'll look at culture change and some of the common "rookie mistakes" that organizational leaders make when changing culture.

Mistake #1: Failing to Identify the Forces at Work

No, this isn't a star wars metaphor. :)  In any culture change, there is going to be some resistance.  Leaders need to assess the resisting forces and ensure that they are countered with stronger forces that are driving the change.   For an example of this, see the force field analysis diagram below. (Click to Enlarge)  You can see in this example that there are more forces working *against* the change than for it, so it is likely to fail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mistake #2: Operating in a Trust Deficit

Change, especially big changes (and trust me, culture changes are always biggies) require that followers trust and respect their leaders.  If your current situation is that there is a lack of trust and respect for the management team, it will be very difficult for your employees to set their concerns aside and do the work of change.  If you have a trust or morale problem - handle it BEFORE you launch into culture change.  Why sprint up a hill of sticker bushes when you could mow them down first?

Mistake #3: "Telling" instead of "Engaging"

I wish I could tell you that companies didn't make this damnfool move, but they do sometimes.  Writing down a list of what is expected for the "new culture" and giving everyone a copy is not culture change.  Remember, we are changing attitudes, beliefs, and feelings.  This strategy is like taking a person with anorexia and handing them a cheeseburger and walking away.  Yes, you want to define your new culture - but no, you can't expect that the definition is the final product.

Mistake #4: Lack of Reinforcement

Let's say that one of the hallmarks of your new culture is "being each other's customers" - the idea of treating coworkers like valued customers, with all that this implies.  A lovely idea.  What next?  If your leadership team is ignoring this idea themselves, no one else will live by it.  If you don't put that expectation into your company onboarding, training, and review processes, it is likely it will be forgotten as just another corporate soundbite.

Implied in this is the reality that culture is complicated, and it is the job of leadership to find the simplicity within that complexity.  You can only engage people around so many ideas, and you can only reinforce so many things.  So choose the ideas and attitudes that are really at the heart of what you want to create.

In the next post, we'll look at an example of a company that does culture change right.

Cheri Baker is the owner of Emergence Consulting, and a consultant to organizations on culture change and employee behavior.  You can read more about her and download additional free resources on her website.

Creating Culture Change in Organizations: Part I - Defining Culture

Let me tell you a story.  A few months ago I was working with a manager inside a large organization, and he was perplexed because his CEO kept talking about the importance of culture change, but the term was never defined.  The manager was feeling some pressure because he felt that it was expected that he would create this "culture change" but the whole thing seemed pretty vague.

In this multi-part blog post, I'm going to describe some of the fundamentals of culture change and we'll look at both the *wrong way* and a better way to change the culture of a company.

A Definition of Culture

Edgar Schein, author and org culture guru, defined organizational culture as:

"a pattern of basic assumptions - invented, discovered, or developed by a given group as it learns to cope with it's problems of external adaptation and internal integration - that has worked well enough to be considered valid and therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems."*

Yes, culture comes down to our shared assumptions and beliefs, and our common feelings and thoughts about the work that we do.  You can think of culture as being the "psychology of the organization" - and if you've decided to change your company's culture, perhaps it means that you think your organization needs some therapy.  :)

The Birthplace of Corporate Culture

The birthplace of culture is in the assumptions and thought patterns of it's founders, and later on, of it's leadership team.   If your company was started by a nurse who was motivated to change the quality of healthcare in small communities, you can see how the culture would differ from that of a small software company founded by a brilliant but aggressive young software engineer determined to change the world.

As a company grows, one of two things happens. 

Scenario One:  Company leaders recognize that they love and value the culture of their organization, and they fear that it will be diluted as the company grows.  They seek to formalize the culture that grew organically, and to ensure it remains strong as more people and ideas are added to the mix.

Scenario Two: Company leaders recognize that the culture is not getting them the kind of results they want, and they seek to redefine the culture - to make a new one that is distinct from the personality of the original founders.

What Happens Next?

In either scenario, the leadership team is left with the difficult business of defining the corporate culture and making it real.  In the next blog post we'll look at the common mistakes leaders make when looking at culture change.

Cheri Baker is an organizational development consultant based near Seattle, WA.  As a coach, trainer, and consultant she helps organizations make sustainable improvements in employee behavior and attitudes.  Learn more at her website.

* source: Organizational Culture and Leadership, Edgar Schein (1991)

Involving HR in Teambuilding Projects: A Good Idea?

I work closely with HR in my work, and one of the issues that comes up is how HR should be involved in teambuilding projects.

HR is often the group that identifies a problem in a team, identifies a consultant to come in and work with them, and is responsible for overseeing the work.  The tricky part comes in when HR wants to participate in the actual work sessions.

Here is the risk: HR is often seen as a kind of corporate spymaster.  Someone who listens with a sympathetic ear and then goes and reports the details to top management.  Sometimes this reputation is deserved, or even legally mandated.  For example, when HR learns of discrimination, harassment, or threats, they are legally compelled to report and act.

The problem is that most true teambuilding requires that participants feel willing and able to be honest and even vulnerable.  Can they do this when HR is in the room?  It probably depends upon the situation.

I'm a big believer in the fact that teambuilding should be done with the full team in the room.   That means employees and managers both - so they are working on issues together.  I don't think it's a problem for HR to be present, so long as the following conditions are met:

1) HR explains why they are present.
2) HR describes what they intend to do (or not do) with the information they hear.
3) HR is accountable for fully participating in the activities.

In short, observers in the room makes teambuilding kind of weird.  If HR can join a group as a participant and make it clear they are there for a good reason without ulterior motives, it works just fine. 

Not that I suspect HR people of having ulterior motives, the HR folks I know are all genuine in their desire to help and participate, but sometimes your title alone can make people uneasy.

Freedom to be vulnerable and honest without fear of punishment.  That's what we need to manage.

Thoughts?

Watch that Trust Come Tumbling Down: Reflections on Obama

Previously on this blog, and also in my team development classes on Accountability at Work, I've talked about the factors that build trust and those that break it down. To recap, here is the basic four part formula to being trustworthy, which is another way of saying that you are accountable.

1. Say what you will do.  (Make a Commitment.)

2. Do it.  (Meet the Commitment.)

3. When you fail, own up to it. (Be Honest.)

4. Fail Infrequently.  (Have a High Standard.)

This isn't a political blog, and I don't much care who you vote for.  I know great leadership comes with all sorts of political viewpoints.  But I did want to take an opportunity to point out a real life lesson in accountability that highlights some of the dynamics of trust.

During the last presidential election, I remember watching then-candidate Obama give a speech.  During this speech he was talking about the lack of transparency and accountability in American government, and he made the pledge that if president, he would televise healthcare negotiations on public access (C-SPAN).  I remember that moment because it was the first time I seriously considered voting for Barack Obama as a presidential candidate.  That commitment (step one) was one that resonated with me.

Fast forward, and that promise wasn't kept.  Then it took several weeks for a grudging admission to come out.  (Read it here.)

It's not difficult to see why many people are beginning to doubt if they can trust the words of our current president.  He made a commitment, but didn't meet it, and it seemed like owning up to it came slowly.  As for the fourth item, failing infrequently, we haven't had enough time to see how many commitments will be kept.

As organizational leaders, I think this example can give us some things to think about.

1. Can I really keep these promises I am making?
2. If I fail, how should I communicate?
3. Am I meeting a majority of my commitments and demonstrating that I can be believed?

Just a few things to think about. 

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.

Why is Self-Motivation so Difficult?

I was a bit saddened a while back to see one of the managers I had worked with slipping back into an old and destructive pattern of behavior.  Something that we had worked on, struggled with, and eventually triumphed over has made an insidious comeback.  So I sighed internally, and I'm watching for the right moment to gently reflect back what I see.

It's got me thinking about this idea of behavior change, and how we can make productive behaviors stick.  Certainly we've all experienced it.  With me, it's the gym.  I have an on again-off again relationship with exercise, despite "knowing" deeply that it is so important.  That level of knowing is firmly embedded in my brain, but not in my heart and in my bones.  I suspect this is what happened with my manager friend too.  "Should not" isn't a terribly compelling motivator.

I know that the difference between superficial and deep changes in our behavior comes down to the difference between "shoulds" and "wants."  What I should do, I will find reasons to ignore, but what I want to do will happen.

So what makes us truly want something in a deep and lasting way?  Can we manufacture those wants, intentionally?

I suspect that support and community have a big part in the answer.  When a team gets momentum around an exciting future, those relationships seem to hold the new behaviors in place.  Ten people striving for the same thing seems more stable than one person.  When I coach leaders, it's easy to get the behaviors on track in the coaching relationship, but sustaining the changes is the harder part. 

Perhaps it comes down to the fact that we are better at being accountable to others than we are to ourselves.  We'll find the motivation to sustain a change in a relationship, but in the quiet of your own mind, it's hard to go against your own nature.

Anyway, that is what I find myself thinking about on this fine Thursday morning. :)  Do you have ideas for turning the "I shoulds" in your life into something more committed?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

When your Boss is Fired: Five Smart Strategies

Last winter, I got a call from a manager I know.  It went something like this.

"My boss got fired today, and it's a complete surprise.  It'll be announced tomorrow, and I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do.  How should I handle this?"

When your boss is terminated, it brings all sorts of questions to bear.

1. What should I say?
2. What should I do?
3. Will I be promoted?
4. Who will do his/her job during the gap?
5. Things feel awkward.  What will happen next?
6. Are other people being fired?  What about me?

While seeing your manager disappear can be alarming, you won't be served well by letting your anxiety show.  Here are some time-tested methods to getting through the transition period with grace.

1. Be respectful of your exiting boss, as well as the company.   If you didn't like your manager, it may be tempting to say "good riddance" but this wouldn't reflect well upon you.  Instead, it's smart to be respectful.  Examples:

"I was very surprised to hear it."   "I'm sorry Dean, this must be very difficult."  "I appreciated being Jo's employee, and we're going to miss her."  "This must have been a difficult decision for the company."  "I am disappointed."

Be respectful.  Treat the exiting person like you would wish to be treated, whether they were a stellar boss or a nightmare.   This includes being respectful of your boss when you hear others complaining about him or her.  If you hear a negativity bubble start to emerge, either pop it or withdraw.

2. Quietly take the lead where things fall apart.   The key here is quietly.  What you don't want to do is step right into your bosses shoes, because people are likely to find that presumptuous or even arrogant.  But you can take steps to ensure that the work is done correctly and that things don't fall between the cracks.  Just make sure you do so without (figuratively) putting your feet up on the boss's desk and acting like you own the place.  Leading without assuming the mantle of your boss's role is likely to be appreciated and recognized.  (Others may disagree, but I think "acting like the boss" openly during this time can backfire.)

3. Observe feelings and behaviors.   If you are part of a larger team, it may be helpful to listen carefully to how people react to the firing.  This is data, which you may find useful as you move forward.  You may find yourself being the spokesperson of the group.  For example, you may be able to say to your new boss "People have been nervous since Joe was fired.  They worry that they might be next.  I think that it would be helpful if you talked to them."

This kind of information will be valuable to your next boss, and your team will be better off if someone is paying attention to their reactions and managing appropriately.

4. Carefully communicate your interim plans.  The goal here is to ensure that your company leaders know what you are doing to take care of any gaps, without sounding like you are assuming you are the chosen successor.  This is a balance.  For example, you might wait until the right moment, and then tell your leadership that you plan to do X,Y, and Z to keep things running smoothly while the position is vacant.  Don't make a big deal out of it, but do make sure others see what you are doing to keep the ship afloat.  The goal is to be proactive, without being presumptuous.  Timing is key, for example, it would probably be inappropriate to sit down with your director about "your interim plans" while your boss is still at his desk, reeling from the news.

5. Use questions to keep tabs on how things are going.  Transitions are often scary, and things may get dropped or forgotten.  Keep positive, and keep asking "do you have what you need?" and "how can I help?" throughout this time.

While it may sound a bit callous, it's true that whenever your manager leaves (although we always hope it is under happy circumstances) it creates a window of opportunity.  The first opportunity is to serve others well under difficult times.  The second opportunity is to really shine in your own performance.

I hope you don't run into too many situations like this, but if you do, it's possible to make the best of it.  Good luck.

Do you have tips/advice to add? Share your views with a comment.