Leadership Lessons Blog

Change Management: A Leadership Imperative

In order to succeed as a leader you must have change management skills.  You have to learn how translate what executives in the company are trying to do on behalf of employees who may not have all the details.  Organizational change can be easy to understand.  The leader must decrease objections to change and help to generate excitement and enthusiasm.  Although this may be a fairly easy activity to grasp, it can be incredibly difficult to execute and manage the change process within your organizations.  To do so, you must craft a well-organized plan. 

Take a look at these key management tips to help you to lay the foundation. 

1. Find the cheerleader:  Who is the person in the organization that is well-respected,a stakeholder that you need to work wih and ensure they are on the same page.  It may be that your cheerleaders change depending upon the stage of change you are in, but you must make an effort to find them. 
2. Justify the change  You might be tempted to skip this step.  You can't.  Even if the change is inevitable, you must be able to help employess understand why this is a good thing for them and for the company.  You need to work closely with your "cheerleaders"  so that they can help you create a sense of ownership and acountability. 
3. Create a plan:  So many companies make the mistakes of not sitting down and defining the plan for change.  You need to have a strategy for how you are going to deliver the major change elements, what type of communication tools you will need to have in place and the frequency of that communication.  You will need to determine who needs to be brought in to the change before the communication so that you can avoid any last minute objections.
4. Determine the change reasons:  Why does the change need to happen?  What activity or business condition is pushing the change?  Are you responding to competitor information, financial or economic pressures, or events completely out of you control, like work force reduction.  Whatever the reasons, make sure you integrate them as you determine your action pla for change. 

Finally, remember to give people enough time to absorb the change.  Don't underestimate how long it takes employees to internalize the change and respond to it. 

Leadership Lessons

 The folowing article is taken from a book I recently read entitled, Goals by Gary Ruan Blair.  The book highlights many leadership tips, but this particular article asks us to think about leadership and Failure.  If you have an opportunity, this book should be part of your management libray.   

Welcome Failure

"The dreaded "F" word - failure - is so important yet so misunderstood. The key to understanding how to succeed rests on knowing a thing or two about the importance of failure.

Failure is both the "teacher's pet" and the "black sheep" of the family of success!

People are naive about the benefits of failure. Wrongly founded assumptions about failure replace potentially accurate assessments of what is necessary to achieve success.

Failure has an ulterior motive - not to get you to quit, but to stop you long enough so that you may learn something, re-strategize and re-launch again more prepared for success.

Success cannot exist without failure as failure is part of the steering mechanism that drives you to success. Learn to expect failure - welcome it, as your denial of this reality can and will have huge negative effects.

Anything worthwhile is worth pursuing, even though the risk is huge, the investment formidable, and failure a possibility.

FAILURE is an essential part of the combination required to open the lock on success.

FAILURE measures your personal investment in this goal - it is a test of character, commitment and courage.

FAILURE lobs an occasional grenade at success, failure asks for your resignation letter, it goads and prods you into quitting, but success hangs in the balance.

We all live a life of close calls, belly flops, and missed opportunities. Your persistence in the face of failure and set back is a measure of your belief in yourself and your goal.

Knowing when to say when is also important. The message this time could be to say "Uncle" and move on to something else. An occasional step back to regroup and reload can, and often does, position you for several more steps forward."

Leadership Lesson: Managers need to learn when to "shut-up!"

Every morning, I receive an email from HRMorning.com.  This is a great resource for those of us supporting HR activity for companies or for managers looking for tips to make their leadership style more effective.  I came across this article doing some research for a harrassment program I'm preparing and I came across these two case studies that were just TOO unbelievable not to share.  Sometimes, it is wise for managers to learn  

Some of the most expensive discrimination cases against employers in the last year resulted from managers who said the wrong thing at the wrong time - remarks that carried more weight than even the best documentation.

Good documentation is always crucial. But two cases in particular underscore the idea that managers need to be aware that what they say really does matter - and could become part of damaging testimony in court.

Case: Marcus et al. v. PQ Corp.

Total damages paid by employer: $6.2 million

The details: Two employees, ages 61 and 57, got laid off by a Pennsylvania chemical manufacturer. The two dragged the employer into court and charged they'd been targeted because of their age.

The company's case had a solid foundation. Funding for the two positions had been eliminated, and so there was a strict financial reason - and no discriminatory basis - for the layoff. The ex-employees argued that the company had manipulated salary budgets so that the older employees would be the first to go.

It looked like a stalemate - which is generally good for a defendant employer - until the the court heard testimony that one manager remarked that the company needed "to get rid of some of these old farts." And another manager had told the two laid-off employees that company needed more  "young blood."

Those remarks ended up being the tipping point in a ruling for the employees - that the company had "willfully" discriminated.

Case: Blount v. Stroud

Total damages paid by employer: $3.3 million

The details: During an investigation of workplace discrimination, an African-American female employee who had no involvement in the case stepped forward to present her observation as a witness to the alleged discrimination. After that case was settled, the woman who spoke up was fired.

She charged her firing was part of a pattern of discrimination and retaliation by the employer. The employer pointed to documented, less-than-stellar performance and behavior by the employee as the basis for letting her go. Normally, such documentation is a game-saver for an employer.

And it might have been for this employer, until the fired employee pointed to remarks by her managers after she spoke up during the investigation of the other case. Examples: One manager told the woman, "You don't know what you're up against." Another said the company could "cause you not to exist."

Hearing those remarks, the court ignored the documentation and found in favor of the fired employee.

 

Leadership Lessons--Becoming a T-Shaped Manager!

Morten T. Hansen, wrote an interesting article in HR Magazine's January edition.  The title of the article is The Future Manager is T-Shaped.  The basic premise of the article indicates that for managers to be successful in the future they must be able to be successful within their own departments while at the same time contributing to the success of departments across their organizations.  They also need to know when to say "no" to projects that they feel don't add to their own department's success or the success of the company as a whole.  Hansen cited, BEO David Nagel from oil giant BP as an example. 

In one year, Nagel and his team assisted 20 other departments.  To ensure that collaboration did not undermine outstanding unit performance, he had to manage his time, delegate to his team and say "no" to questionable cross-unit activities.  Hansen goes on to suggest tips for becoming an excellent T-shaped manager:  delivering results for excellent performance in his own unit (the vertical part of the T) and contributes across the company (the horizontal part of the T). 

TIPS for T-SHAPE MANAGEMENT SUCCESS!

• "Have the right attitude and believe that a job has two responsibilities--to achieve high performance in your own department and to contribute to other departments' performance.  If you see your role through this lends, you start looking at other people's work from their points of view."
• "Know your own area.  Think of the vertical part of the T as your area ofdepartment's expertise."
• "Know about other areas.  For instance, if you're a scientist in product development, you should know a little about marketing and sales or you won't contribute effectively."
• "Have the right networks.  Build effective interpersonal contacts with diverse colleagues and people outside your company.  Be persuasive, influencing people with the power of rank or finances.: 

In the past leaders could depend upon the notion that if they succeeded within their own fields of interests that they could be assured of success.  That expectation is changing.  Both individual and collective goals are now rewarded and teamwork and collaboration is the key to making this happen.

It's time to start working on your T-SHAPED management skills. 

Change Management and Leadership

I came across this excerpt from Simple Truths written by Mac Anderson and Tom Feltenstein.  The excerpt is from a book entitled Change is Good...You Go First. It is important to remember as company leaders that we have to act as role models for change in order for employees to feel comfortable that we are leading them in the right direction.  Hope this article generates some leadership tips for you.   

"A few years ago, British Rail had a real fall-off in business. Looking for marketing answers, they went searching for a new ad agency - one that could deliver an ad campaign that would bring their customers back.

When the British Rail executives went to the offices of a prominent London ad agency to discuss their needs, they were met by a very rude receptionist, who insisted that they wait.

Finally, an unkempt person led them to a conference room - a dirty, scruffy room cluttered with plates of stale food. The executives were again, left to wait. A few agency people drifted in and out of the room, basically ignoring the executives who grew impatient by the minute. When the execs tried to ask what was going on, the agency people brushed them off and went about their work.

Eventually, the execs had enough. As they angrily started to get up, completely disgusted with the way they'd been treated, one of the agency people finally showed up.

"Gentlemen," he said, "your treatment here at our Agency is not typical of how we treat our clients - in fact, we've gone out of our way to stage this meeting for you. We've behaved this way to point out to you what it's like to be a customer of British Rail. Your real problem at British Rail isn't your advertising, it's your people. We suggest you let us address your employee attitude problem before we attempt to change your advertising."

The British Rail executives were shocked - but the agency got the account! The agency had the remarkable conviction to point out the problem because it knew exactly what needed to change."

As Yogi Berra once said...

"Before we build a better mousetrap,
We need to find out if there are any mice out there."

Coaching and Interviewing

 

Executives and Managers are faced with unique challenges when conducting a job search - competition is tougher, scrutiny is greater, and, with larger salaries on the line, the stakes are higher.  Most executives are used to being on the interviewer side of the desk, not the interviewee side.  To combat this, CC Consulting has developed an Executive Interview Coaching and Preparation service.

 

"Unfortunately, we have seen a large number of executives and mid-level managers laid off in 2009.  From our executive coaching experience we know that many of them are uncomfortable in the role of job seeker," said Celia Couture, president of CC Consulting.  "Not every firm that laid off people offered outplacement services.  Yet even those that did have not fully prepared the individuals for the entire job search process from using social media in your search through negotiating the best compensation package." 

 

CC Consulting's Interview Coaching and Preparation service helps executives and managers:

• Use their social network with rigor to find opportunities and prepare for the interview
• Ensure their cover letter and resume best represent them
• Take control of the process
• Practice interviewing skills
• Ask for the job. 
• Negotiate the best total package

"Celia has a very direct, no-nonsense approach to coaching," said Tim Halligan president of Exchange Authority. "I have worked with her in a number of capacities over the past 5 years and have found her style and honesty refreshing and effective.  Because her executive coaching has helped me navigate a number of challenging business situations, I know she is the perfect person to help an executive that is in the midst of a job search - in fact I have already referred her to people I know who are looking for a new position."

 

Executives and Managers working with CC Consulting can expect three 1-hour coaching sessions along with a review of their cover letter and resume for $300.00.  If more time is required they can purchase additional sessions at $100.00 per hour.

About CC Consulting

CC Consulting delivers leadership training and consulting services as well as customer or employee assessment, 360-degree evaluations, and performance management solutions to assist company leaders in meeting their strategic goals. To learn more about the breadth of services CC Consulting can offer your company, call 978-455-4003 or visit the website at www.ccconsultingllc.com.

Leadership and Discipline

I came across this article today and wanted to share it with you.  It really speaks to the importance of self-discipline.  Sometimes we wake up in the morning and really struggle to get motivated, do something we really don't want to do, but the advice in this article is very telling.  We need to push ourselves sometimes to make an impact, especially as a leader.  Hope you enjoy the article.

Introduction from the Power of Discipline by Brian Tracy   

Why are some people more successful than others? Why do some people make more money, live happier lives and accomplish much more in the same number of years than the great majority?

I started out in life with few advantages. I did not graduate from high school. I worked at menial jobs. I had limited education, limited skills and a limited future.

And then I began asking, "Why are some people more successful than others?" This question changed my life.

Over the years, I have read thousands of books and articles on the subjects of success and achievement. It seems that the reasons for these accomplishments have been discussed and written about for more than two thousand years, in every conceivable way. One quality that most philosophers, teachers and experts agree on is the importance of self-discipline. As Al Tomsik summarized it years ago, "Success is tons of discipline."

Some years ago, I attended a conference in Washington. It was the lunch break and I was eating at a nearby food fair. The area was crowded and I sat down at the last open table by myself, even though it was a table for four.

A few minutes later, an older gentleman and a younger woman who was his assistant came along carrying trays of food, obviously looking for a place to sit.

With plenty of room at my table, I immediately arose and invited the older gentleman to join me. He was hesitant, but I insisted. Finally, thanking me as he sat down, we began to chat over lunch.

It turned out that his name was Kop Kopmeyer. As it happened, I immediately knew who he was. He was a legend in the field of success and achievement. Kop Kopmeyer had written four large books, each of which contained 250 success principles that he had derived from more than fifty years of research and study. I had read all four books from cover to cover, more than once.

After we had chatted for awhile, I asked him the question that many people in this situation would ask, "Of all the one thousand success principles that you have discovered, which do you think is the most important?"

He smiled at me with a twinkle in his eye, as if he had been asked this question many times, and replied, without hesitating, "The most important success principle of all was stated by Thomas Huxley many years ago. He said, 'Do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.'"

He went on to say, "There are 999 other success principles that I have found in my reading and experience, but without self-discipline, none of them work."

Self-discipline is the key to personal greatness. It is the magic quality that opens all doors for you, and makes everything else possible. With self-discipline, the average person can rise as far and as fast as his talents and intelligence can take him. But without self-discipline, a person with every blessing of background, education and opportunity will seldom rise above mediocrity.

In the pages ahead I will describe seven areas of your life where the practice of self-discipline will be key to your success. These areas include goals, character, time management, personal health, money, courage and responsibility. It is my hope that you’ll find a few "nuggets" that will help make your dreams come true.

 

Leadership and Communication--Deliver a Better Presentation

We all freak out at the thought of speaking in front of a group of people.  No matter how practiced we are at delivering messages to large group, there is still this incredible anxiety that comes over you when you are standing in front of a group and all eyes are on you.  It immediately means you are the expert and people are assembled just to listen to your message. 

For some people, speaking in front of a group comes naturally, for others it can be a nightmare riddled with all kinds of disasters, but by keeping in mind a few key tips, you can make delivering a speech or presentation a much easier task.

1. REMAIN CALM:  I know easier said than done.  No matter how many relaxation exercises I do...I'm still shaky when I get to the podium so I've learned that I need to find a way to get the audience on my side rooting for me.  I typically, make sure I greet as many people as possible that are gathered to hear me speak.  I try to engage in some conversation with them so that I can make reference to the conversation when I start my presentation.  Nothing makes an audience or me calmer than having common ground.  The more relaxed I appear, the more confident I sound and the influence I'll have over the audience.
2. ARTICULATE:  Nothing is worse than sitting in an audience and not being able to understand a speaker.  Sometimes, when you are nervous you tend to keep your voice lower or you tend to mumble.  If this happens you can lose your audience fairly quickly, so make sure you are careful about the words you choose for the subject.  Don't use words that are obscure to your audience.  Don't make understanding your point of view an intellectual exercise.  Speak clearly so that you are understood.
3. Show Enthusiasm:  Can you imagine sitting through a presentation when the speaker is half asleep and not showing any passion for the subject matter.  Part of your role as a speaker is to get the audience reved up to take action.  That can't happen if you are lukewarm about your subject or you lack energy.  If you want people to stand up and take notice, not resort to doodling or taking a cat nap, you HAVE to show enthusiasm and energy for your topic.  If you can, make sure you use a wireless microphone so that you are not teathered to a podium.  The closer you get to the audience, the more engaged they become in your topic.

Remember you are in the room because you ARE the expert.  You've been given the role of presenter because you have something to offer that is new, different, controversial or interesting.  Make the most of this time, enjoy it and have fun.  The more you practice, the better you become and you will eventually turn the butterflies in to being able to relax! 

Leadership and Committment

Working in a small company has its challenges.  It means that you can't easily hide in a cubicle and get lost in "doing" your job and it means that you are very vulnerable to the scrutiny of everyone you work for and with daily.  Even the small business is "family-owned" and operated you also face additional challenges, especially when the "decision-maker" is very vague.  You can be marching successfully to the drum of one owner and be completely missing the boat with another.  If you avoid one directive over another directive, you find yourself sandwiched in a "no-win" situation. 

As employees who work with father and son teams or husband and wife teams of sibling teams, we need to ensure that we work hard to understand the protocols of the company and how to survive mixed messages or confusion over strategy and vision. 

I work with many small companies, many of which are run by members of the family.  Each has a box on the organizational chart, but rarely do any of them stay in their functional box.  This action is certainly understandable as they each have a vested interest int he success of the company.  Unfortunately, when you are caught in the middle of their disagreements then you may find yourself on the short-end of the stick. 

Their are several factors leading to the challenge of working in this type of environment.  How do you best survive the differing management and leadership styles and how to you secure your reporting relationship with each member of the family so you don't end up playing arbitrator for their indecision or for their mixed messages. 

The following are tips I would encourage you to practice if you find yourself in a similar situation. 

1. Clarify reporting protocols.  You need to know where the buck stops in terms of direction and action.  This is especially true if you are working in a company with 50/50 percent ownership.  You may report to one person on the organizational chart, but could very well be getting direction from the other.  You can't win this battle so it is best to sit down and ask for clarification on how you are supposed to respond to mixed messages or differering strategies. 
2. Hold the family members responsible for developing communication paths that are clear.  One of the greatest failures in small companies is that they underestimate the need for consistent and clear communication.  They make the assumption that since the company is small that everyone understands the message.  Regardless of size, employees need to know that the company has its compass set on a particular path.  They need to feel comfortable that everyone agrees with the path and are supporting the direction.  If you are not getting the kind of clarification you need, it is your responsibility to ask for clarification.
3. Ask for accountability metrics.  Small companies oftentimes miss the need to establish identifiable goals and metrics.  Employees are sometimes left to figure out what they are being held accountable for as a function of their job, but accountability standards are far more complex.  Small companies must develop a mechanism to talk about performance and performance expectations.  If you are not sure HOW you are being measured then it is up to you to ask for clarification. 

If you are an employee in a small company, you must have the attitude that you are "part" of the family and that your success depends upon the success of the company.  You need to ask yourself if you can be dedicated enough to the companies success to work "outside" of your box.  In doing so, you may find that you have a very satisfying experience. 

Leadership and Communication

This weekend famed golfer, Tiger Woods was in a car accident outside of his home at 2:00 in the morning.  Thankfully, he wasn't hurt badly and is now ducking the media and the police for answers.  His lawyer probably told him how to draft a message on his website about the incident, which I'm sure was the "legal" way to handle the messaging.  Unfortunately, the choice of words did not satisfy the throngs of people and media moguls that want the "dirt!"  So how does this pertain to leadership and communication?  

Lack of communication and lack of a solid communication plan can lead to innuendo and gossip.  Employees sometimes thrive on gossip especially if companies don't focus an approriate amount of time on the planning of what is going to be communicated, how it is going to be communicated, by whom and for what audience.  Oftentimes, leadership teams have lived with a situation or change that needs to be communicated months before an "official" announcement.  As a result, they have gone through all of the trepidation and anxiety and phases of change and consequently underestimate how their teams might respond to the information. 

The lesson to be learned is that strong communication, regardless of how incidental or small the message is to employees still requires a great deal of rigor and a strong action plan.   If you want to avoid having people "assume" rather than know the facts, follow the following tips:

1. Ensure that you adapt your communication depending upon the audience that needs to hear the message.
2. Identify ways to make a good first impression because you are ahead of the rumor-mill and gossip.
3. Encourage others to provide suggestions to you for how best to communicate the message.  Don't assume that you know how employees are going to react.
4. Make your message memorable for the "r