On Leadership, Sherlock Holmes and The Analytical Leader

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Alexsys Thompson

Sherlock Holmes

Being Holmes

Known particularly for his shrewd logical reasoning, Detective Sherlock Holmes most certainly possesses a strength both envied and despised. Despite the efforts of those he seeks to thwart, Holmes’s uncanny ability to weed through the details of a case, find the facts, and solve the puzzle has proven he is the best at what he does.

Some might call his methods perceptive, systematic, logical, or even rigorous.

In the Strengths world, however, it is known as Analytical.

Being Watson

One must wonder, what’s it like to work for someone who is Analytical? No one knows the answer to this better than John H. Watson, Holmes’s very own assistant.

As an Analytical leader, Holmes constantly challenges others, following the motto “Prove it”.

When developing a theory of his own, Watson can count on Holmes to ensure his thinking is sound and essentially bullet proof. In Holmes’s more unsophisticated moments, Watson is also aware his ideas may be destroyed. In fact, if Holmes allows his Analytical to run amuck, he may all but completely deter Watson from speaking his mind ever again.

If you’re like Holmes…

Chances are, if you’re Analytical, your work rarely (if ever) has a mistake. You base your conclusions on proven data and facts, rather than “what ifs” and possibilities. You are able to create patterns and make connections to provide solid, agenda-free solutions, making you extremely valuable to your team and organization.

To others, you are unbiased, meticulous, and logically sound; for these reasons, you are the go to person to diffuse “fanciful thinking” and implement concrete ideas.

As a leader, you are able to provide your team with:

  • Substantial support for the bottom line
  • Relatively error free production
  • Trust worthy decision making
  • Stability in data based solutions

As with any Strength, you also need to be aware of the dark side of being Analytical.

Effectively Leading Watson

Below-the-line perceptions can be extremely powerful when leading your team. Not everyone on your team will have Analytical anywhere hear their top five, much less their top ten, so it’s critical that you understand how your feedback and/or direction are received.

Possible below-the-line perceptions are:

  • Paralysis by Analysis- too many reasons why a plan WON’T work
  • Seem argumentative
  • Ask too many questions
  • Struggle with Abstract thinking
  • Dream killer

Though your intention is to help Watson develop a sound theory, you may actually be creating an unproductive work environment for him. If Watson is high in the themes of Activator or Futuristic, your tendency to get “stuck in the weeds” will be very frustrating.

Remaining Engaged

In order to guarantee Watson remains engaged, and also develops a well-thought out plan, it’s important for you to see the forest for the trees. Remember the bottom line and present him two to three questions that can help him head in a solid direction.

There may be times when it is necessary to deconstruct Watson’s theories and redirect him to a more tangible path; be aware of how you deliver the information.

If you are too harsh, your feedback has the opportunity to be taken personally.

When you begin your line of questioning, be fastidious about which questions are essential to the bottom line. Remember, the big picture is the ultimate result of the details!

If you’re a leader strong in Analytical, how have you been able to balance your need for detail with the essentials of a particular project? Are you able to leverage the talents of other team members to get projects started? Have you found a way to deliver feedback to an employee in a way that is productive and leaves them feeling valued?

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Alexsys "Lexy" Thompson HCS, SWP
Alexsys “Lexy” Thompson is Managing Partner at Fokal Fusion
She helps building Strong Leaders through Strong People Strategy
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Managing Up by Speaking Up

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Carlann Fergusson

Managing Up

Managing your job and career can be difficult at times. And one of the biggest difficulties for many is managing one element that is often found to be the linchpin in one’s career: the boss.

Many people disconnect from this element because of fear, perceived backlash, or they just were never told to do this.

“Managing up” is one of the best ways to ensure a happier, healthier, and more satisfying career because it puts more control in your hands.

Imagine This:

You’re attending a staff meeting and your boss is recognizing a peer for the great work their team did on a pretty routine project. Your team recently successfully completed a very difficult phase of a project but there is no mention of your team’s accomplishments.

You start that old self-talk in your brain, “My boss plays favorites. My boss doesn’t understand my area and everything that goes into completing a job successfully. They underappreciate me and my team!”

You’re busy pointing the finger at your boss, but in the majority of cases YOU are the owner of the problem.

Not Managing Up

Many managers make the mistake of not managing their boss.  They don’t think about it or are not clear how to do it. They simply take their own point of view and never give a chance to think how the boss might be thinking. They forget that the boss can also forget.

Think about this:

How is your boss supposed to know everything that went into a job to make it successful or how many barriers you had to overcome to finish that project by the deadline if you don’t tell them?

Even if the boss had your role prior to being promoted, they probably won’t remember all the details about the effort something took.  Think back to a project you did several years ago that you are really proud of. Do you remember all the pain points you overcame? Chances are the details of the effort are fuzzy but the results and feelings of accomplishment are vivid.

I Can’t Hear You

One key to managing your boss is how you use your one-on-one meetings with them. Here are some key differences in how two managers share project status:

The Underappreciated Manager and The Golden Manager

Underappreciated Manager

  • Status to due dates
  • Key activities
  • Problems and plans to address problems
 Golden Manager

  • Key accomplishments by team members
  • Emphasis of areas that took extra effort by team members
  • Problems or potential barriers team identified and successfully addressed
  • Status to due dates with any plans to either accelerate plan or get project back on plan
  • Recognitions by key stakeholders of work to date
  • Problems and plans to address problems

The Underappreciated Manager might look at the Golden Manager’s approach and feel that the meeting with the boss has turned into a bragging session. It is! But the manager is bragging about how great their team members are or how some key stakeholders really helped them out – not about how great he or she is.

Certainly, there may be times when the manager brags about their own contribution, but the intent is on helping their boss understand the overall effort so they can appreciate the results better.

The Golden Manager recognizes that their performance is measured by how well their team does.

If the team does great, then the manager must be doing something right.

Tell Me a Story

The tone of these two meetings is also very different. In the Underappreciated Managers meeting with the boss, the manager ticks through projects and their status as if they were going through bullet points in a presentation.

In the Golden Manager’s meeting there may be some quick updates but key points are told as stories. You hear things being said like: “Kathy did an amazing job of getting the Senior VP of Manufacturing to support our project.  She….” and the story unfolds.

Short stories of accomplishments are powerful. They paint a picture of the difficulties and the accomplishments.

They star your team members as the heroes.

Good short stories engage your manager at an emotional level. The next staff meeting or meeting with his or her boss, your boss is much more likely to remember your story over any bullet points.

Your boss then ends up sharing those same stories with their manager and a very positive impression of you as a leader is formed.  Your accomplishments also enable your boss to look good because their success is also based on their direct reports accomplishments.

It’s a win-win.

Don’t Forget the Drive-Thru

When you have a really great accomplishment your proud of. Don’t wait till the next formal meeting with your boss. Go by your boss’s office and say, “Got a minute? I want to share some exciting news with you.”

Then tell the short story with pride in your voice.  If your boss is hard to reach – send an email titled “Great accomplishment by team” and write that short story.

Boss’s always have time for great news. Click to Tweet This

Ask for Recognition

Ask your boss for recognition. Not for you but for your team. If the team did something major, ask your boss if they’d be willing to send an e-mail congratulating the team members involved. If your boss has been bragging to their boss about your team you will even see that they copy their boss.

Everyone ends up being golden!

Managing your boss is a major differentiator between being a great manager and being a great manager on the succession plan. Unfortunately many managers are so focused on the team and work they forget this critical skill and wonder why they were passed over.

So, how are you doing at managing your job and career by managing up with your boss? Have you tried this before? Was it more difficult, or easier than you thought? What else have you done to help your job and your team’s jobs by managing up? I would love to hear your stories!

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Carlann Fergusson

Carlann Fergusson is owner at Propel Forward LLC
She provides seminars and consulting on Strategic Leadership Challenges
Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Web | Skype: carlann.fergusson

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Emotional Intelligence: The Leadership Difference-Maker

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Tom Cocklereece

EQ

A true story:

In March 2013 Susanna Rohm’s seemingly-healthy two month old baby had stopped breathing causing mom to go into a panic. She began screaming for help as loudly as possible.

In the panic Susanna had lost her cell phone and had the presence of mind to go get help rather than search for the phone. She ran outside and saw two boys playing across the street. Susanna yelled to them for help and screamed for them to call 911.

Ethan Wilson, age 11, and Rocky Hurt, age 9, immediately placed the emergency call but Rocky ran across the street to see what else he could do to help.

Noticing that Susanna was not administering CPR correctly, he coached the panicking mom to give proper chest compressions and breaths to her distressed baby.

Rocky later told a reporter, “I told her to push on the baby’s chest five to 10 times with only two fingers, tilt back the baby’s head, plug the baby’s nose and breathe into the baby’s mouth.”

Suddenly, the baby began crying at which point Rocky told Susanna, “That’s a good sign because it means the baby is breathing.”

Paramedics soon arrived and transported the baby to the hospital for further treatment but Rocky certainly saved the day. Rocky and Ethan said they had learned CPR from a restaurant poster.

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional Intelligence is the ability and presence of mind to make rational decisions and to take action that may be directly opposed to the inner emotional stimulus. More broadly is the ability to identify, assess, and control the emotions of oneself, of others, and of groups.

Emotional Intelligence may be explained best using stories in which it may be illustrated. The story about Rocky helping to save a baby illustrates a great human interest story but also Emotional Intelligence, also known as EQ or EI.

Rocky clearly did not panic as might be expected of a nine-year old boy. He maintained control of his own emotions, recalled memory of a poster describing CPR of an infant, and through his composure he calmed the emotions of Susanne so that she could follow the instructions and resuscitate her baby.

This is not to suggest that Susanne has a low EQ but rather that Rocky certainly is a good illustration of high emotional intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence is the ability and presence of mind to make rational decisions and to take action that may be directly opposed to the inner emotional stimulus.

Emotional Intelligence is Leadership Intelligence

Rocky Hurt appears to have natural Emotional Intelligence at an early age, with limited education, maturity, or training. His presence of mind and control of not only his own emotions but also those of Susanne is compelling. Historically this is an ability of the best leaders.

  • Bvt. Maj. Gen. Joshua Chamberlain serving as a regiment commander in the battle of Gettysburg overcame the overwhelming sense of defeat by his soldiers on the second day of the battle. He ordered a bayonet charge of Confederate forces and took over 100 prisoners and restored confidence as his position on Little Round Top was held.
  • Lee Iacocca was an incredibly successful executive at Ford Motor Company in 1978. Even though the company posted a $2 billion profit that year, Iacocca was fired. While many people get down on themselves after being terminated, Iacocca quickly rose to the top again as the chief executive of the troubled Chrysler Motor Company and is credited with turning the company around.

True Control: Controlling One’s Self

Whether in the military, business, politics, church, or any other endeavor, leaders with high Emotional Intelligence are able to change the mood, motivate the people, and lead the organization to success.

Emotional Intelligence is the difference-maker for leadership. It requires that the leader suspend their own mood and emotions and communicate optimism and a positive vision.

It is the difference between leadership that creates dissonance and leadership that creates resonance. There are many examples in history of leaders with high Emotional Intelligence.

Dissonance or resonance may be seen in the culture of a leader’s organization by how he or she motivates people. Dissonant leadership can motivate for a while but requires great energy to sustain. On the other hand, resonant leadership that is actuated by Emotional Intelligence coupled with effective leadership abilities is self-sustaining by the synergy of the whole organization.

Developing a Higher Emotional Intelligence

Many scholars of Emotional Intelligence believe that people can improve and grow in this area of development. The premise in virtually all of the books and resources on the EQ subject suggest that one may improve his or her Emotional Intelligence area.

However, developing a higher Emotional Intelligence requires determination and presence of mind.

It requires moving from:

  • UNCONSCIOUS INCOMPETENCE >>> to >>>
  • CONSCIOUS INCOMPETENCE >>> to >>>
  • CONSCIOUS COMPETENCE >>> to >>>
  • UNCONSCIOUS COMPETENCE.

The last stage shows the presence of mind that Rocky Hurt dad as he helped save that  baby.

For those of the Christian faith, actuating Emotional Intelligence is the realization of Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” It requires that one internalize the principle until it is lived value.

So what are some examples you remember of emotional intelligence from history? Why is it difficult to act contrary to emotional stimuli? Are you growing in emotional intelligence? Does your workplace exhibit resonant or dissonant leadership? I would love to hear your thoughts!

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Tom Cocklereece
Dr. Tom Cocklereece is CEO of RENOVA Coaching and Consulting, LLC
He is an author, professional coach, and leadership specialist
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Leadership Perspective: To Ride the Wave, or Lead the Wave

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Alexsys Thompson

Chameleon Leadership

Let’s venture into a world where plans constantly change. In this place, nothing goes the way it should. Every potential obstacle becomes a reality, and almost every decision must be made in the moment.

Okay, so, maybe this world isn’t so different from the one you’re in now; however, your reaction to this chaos might be.

A New Attitude

Amidst the constant mania of this world, and in the face of every plan change or obstacle, instead of becoming upset or overwhelmed, you respond with a nonchalant attitude that exudes this mindset:

“We’ll figure it out. No big deal…”

If that reaction confuses or even mystifies you, you probably don’t have the strength theme of Adaptability in your top 5, or even top 10. However, if this makes perfect sense to you and mirrors your attitude in everyday life, you probably have Adaptability in your wheelhouse.

 Just Like the Infamous Chameleon

Being adaptable as you are, you see no issue with plan changes. You respond well to the stresses of the moment despite any interruption they may have caused. Not only do you handle unforeseen modifications adeptly, you consider them inevitable and in some cases embrace them.

Like the chameleon, you can change your colors as you wish without a second thought.

Others should not mistake your Adaptability for carelessness or a lack of planning, you most likely did plan; however, unlike someone strong in Intellection or Deliberative who does not also possess Adaptability may find difficulty going with the flow the way you do.

 Leading Without Blending In

There are obvious perks to being adaptable, and as a leader it’s important to understand how to use this strength in a sophisticated manner.

Obviously, an important mark of a leader is maintaining composure in the face of adversity you do this extremely well!

However, it’s also important that you have a clear and concise opinion, draw a line in the sand, and remain goal oriented. Since you have an inclination to go where the wind takes you, it wouldn’t be hard for team members high in Command or Belief to consider you weak or perceive that you never plan for anything.

It’s critical for people with strong presence themes like these that you aren’t too easily swayed because you can’t blend into the carpet or they will run you over.Team members with Consistency as a theme will also look to you to be fair and consistent across processes and with team members. You can leverage team members with these strengths for feedback, especially when it comes to bumps in the road for projects.

Adaptability can be one of the best attributes a leader possesses when used with sophistication because you act as a bridge among team members. Use this to your advantage and leverage your teams strengths, which can help you recognize when blending in is appropriate, and when it’s dangerous.

Adapting to Leadership

Adaptability as an employee could be exactly what got you to your leadership role, which should come as no surprise. You were willing to tackle any project, and were able to keep your head on straight when the storms came through.

As a leader, know that it’s okay to go against the grain sometimes- the flow doesn’t always get you were you need to go.

Learning to adapt to leadership may be your biggest challenge yet, but one you will surely succeed at!

As a leader with Adaptability, how do you maintain self-awareness concerning just how flexible you are? Have you ever been led by someone strong in Adaptability? What were the pros and cons? I would love to hear your thoughts!

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Alexsys "Lexy" Thompson HCS, SWP
Alexsys “Lexy” Thompson is Managing Partner at Fokal Fusion
She helps building Strong Leaders through Strong People Strategy
Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Web

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Effective Leadership: Just Do It

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Alexsys Thompson

Just Do It

The Anticipation

You sit on the edge of your seat, foot tapping, hands clenched, eyes shifting around the room, just waiting. Everyone else seems relaxed and content to sit in this room and keep talking, but you- you’re ready to go.

You feel you may actually explode, and just as a bead of sweat starts to fall from your brow, you put everything you have into composing yourself. Instead of bouncing off the walls like you’re in a pinball machine and physically forcing everyone to do the same (you are their leader after all), you take a deep breath, wait for an opening, and ask

 “When can we start?”

“Just Do It” as a Mantra

You took that deep breath because you are aware of one of your primary strength themes, Activator.

According to Gallup:

“People strong in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often impatient.”

This explains the anxious body language and the intense desire you constantly have to move meetings along. You are a person of action!

The value you add as a leader to your team is simple- you get things going. If there’s a project that needs to get done, or a proposal that’s having a hard time getting off the ground, your team, and probably other teams, will come to you to set things in motion.

If one of your team members, perhaps someone strong in the themes of Deliberative or Analytical, is having a hard time getting the fire started, you’re there to help them turn their pondering into doing. You understand that performance is driven by action, and action creates results.

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The Dark Side of Expedience

As a strengths-based leader, the importance of understanding the potential consequences of the Activator strength are crucial. Your impulsiveness could get you into trouble in several ways; in regards to projects or team goals, your haste to get something started may blind you to the hazards and obstacles set in the path you’ve rashly chosen to take.

When it comes to your team members, you may be dismissing or overlooking their strengths, and therefore their commitment, or buy-in, to the project.

For example, someone strong in Intellection may have taken the time to sit and think about the proposed action plan and come up with a few insightful and potentially crucial ideas; however, before they were able to communicate these ideas, the process is already underway.

Because you can make decisions so quickly, you may make a poor choice or an untimely one. It’s vital that you be a strong communicator to avoid the popular perception that you are in fact impulsive and make decisions with little thought.

If you are aware of the darker aspects of your strength, you’ll be able to keep them in check, communicate your ideas, and be perceived as more of a go-getter than a rash decision maker.

Activating your Strength

Having an Activator on the team, especially as a leader, can be instrumental in achieving real results and success. As with all strengths, it is best when leveraged and anchored with complementary strengths.

So, Activators, look for people on your team who can see the potential consequences (good or bad) of a particular decision, such as Strategic, people who can make sure there is a clear destination aligned to the team and company goals, such as Focus, and someone to make sure the project is completed, such as Achiever.

As an Activator, you’re eager to get to the finish line as quickly as possible, see the results, and then learn the lesson. You believe growth is best attained through taking the next step without fear or hesitation. Use this strength to take the next step in being the best leader you can; put your strengths into action with your team’s.

Start the process of knowing who on your team has what strengths and how you’re going to leverage them in your projects. The best way for your team, and you, to grow is to start creating a strengths-based culture at work.

And the best part? You can start NOW!

If you’re an activator, how have you found this strength to be of value? Has it ever gotten in your way? Have you ever worked for an Activator? What were the pros and cons? Could a strengths-based culture have improved how that person, you, and/or your team functioned?

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———————–
Alexsys "Lexy" Thompson HCS, SWP
Alexsys “Lexy” Thompson is Managing Partner at Fokal Fusion
She helps building Strong Leaders through Strong People Strategy
Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Web

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Servant Leadership: Authenticity and the Spiritual Journey

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Doug Ramsey

Authenticity

Leading with a Noble Purpose and pursuing a life of service to others only becomes authentic, dynamic and revitalizing when your spiritual practice evolves to the higher stages.

Until then it is mainly a “prepersonal” exercise firmly anchored to your egocentric self.

Being Selfless or Selfish

Leading without a spiritual purpose boils down to a simple ego-boosting technique that may make you feel better, but it will not lead to authenticity and into the ranks of the BIG L Leader.  Doing good and being your highest self is not the same thing.  Doing good can have at its essence an inflated ego drive – at a prepersonal level.

Authenticity and right motives may be repressed by the cocoons of denial and self-deception always assuring you of what a good person you are.  When in reality, Authentic Servant Leadership requires brutal self-honesty (as to your true intentions) and that you truly acknowledge with kindness and compassion your own vulnerabilities.

You have no choice here!

“Be the most ethical, the most responsible, the most authentic you can be with every breath you take, because you are cutting a path into tomorrow that others will follow.”  Ken Wilber

Detaching From Self

This developmental process is ongoing throughout life and it presents itself at both our strongest and weakest times.  If your understanding of “self” is deep and broad enough, you will have the opportunity to detach from ego and with work, experience your higher self.

Then your Servant Leadership style will move towards authenticity and it will resonate in all you do.

This is the true meaning of service and responsibility blended within the presence of a true seeker seeing from multiple perspectives and choosing right actions in being in the world.  Alas, you are awakening; you are beginning to know who you are and what matters to you.

“If you put yourself in God’s position, you will see that you wouldn’t be able to create the future in and through a selfish, self-centered person who deeply experiences incarnation as a burden.  There simply wouldn’t be any room for you in such an individual’s heart, mind, and soul.  This is why our enlightenment – our development beyond ego – has become nothing less than an evolutionary imperative.”  Andrew Cohen

Making a Difference

If you have or are about to take up the practice, you have chosen to use yourself in modeling your beliefs, values, and gifts each day.  You are now truly being in the world, however beautiful or ugly each day presents itself.

This is where you will stand with no excuses, apologies or wavering.  You are here.  You are not lost.

The manifest and absolute realities of life will show themselves.  You are beginning to understand what you are here to do and have accepted the reality that your story (indeed all our stories) will end.  As a Big L Leader, you will take a spiritual stance in your leadership beliefs and actions.

This path leads you to discover how you will make a difference by contributing what only you can give.  Is there any nobler path other than the one that leads to your inner self?

“What is this precious love and laughter budding in our hearts?  It is the glorious sound of a soul waking up!”  ~ Hafiz

A New Frontier

As many of us have discovered, these moments of spiritual depth and insight may strike us suddenly and leave us a bit unsure about our previous worldview.

They illuminate for us a new frontier of profound growth and development.

That what we seek – our true self – is right in front of us.  Are we ready to tap into this awesome potential?  Deep experiences of this scale are essential for next stage progression in consciousness and awareness. Helping us evolve spiritually and integrally.

But we need the courage and commitment to step up and out on to this new frontier in order to feel the solid ground that will hold and lead us to our new-found “self” and the dangers, opportunities, responsibilities and obligations that await our arrival.

  • How will you find your true self and immerse yourself in the authentic leadership experience that offers you the noble purpose way forward in your life and work?
  • How do you continue to grow and deepen continuously, even when you are not in touch directly with these deeper developmental insights?

To paraphrase Rumi:

“These spiritual window-shoppers, who idly ask, ‘How much is that?’

Oh, I’m just looking.  They handle a hundred items and put them down, shadows with no capital…

Even if you don’t know what you want, buy something, to be part of the exchanging flow…

As a leader, can you hear the spirit calling? If you cannot, what can you do to tune your ears, heart, and soul toward your calling? If so, what are your next steps in influencing others to greater heights? I would love to hear your thoughts!

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Doug Ramsey
Doug Ramsey is Managing Director at Designed Management, LLC
He serves with Company Building, Growth, Leadership Development, and Coaching
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Leaders: Treat Them Like Adults and Watch What Happens

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Anil Saxena

Babies at Work

What is it about management that turns some good managers into nannies? Sometimes the role of a manager or team leader has morphed into something resembling a hall monitor.

The problem is this: The more the restriction, the greater the tendency to rebel.

A Chemical Reaction

Just like in history, any dictator is often undermined by a coordinated resistance. Therefore, tightly controlling your employees and putting restrictions on them may very well lead to employees that are looking to get around the system. Why?

Oftentimes human nature follows the laws of physics,

“To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction” – Sir Isaac Newton

Are there employees that will try to take advantage of the system were other people comply? Of course there will be. There are some people who simply want to get away with doing the least amount of work possible.

But this is not the norm, unless that’s the type of environment created. Yes, that type of distrustful environment doesn’t just happen, it’s created.

Rules Glorious Rules

Recently, I worked with a team that was challenged with its performance. The manager was certain that her employees needed to be to highly controlled because they could not be trusted. She told me about an employee that she monitored the start and end times of his day very closely.

“Why do you do that?” I asked.

She said, “Because he sometimes comes in late and leaves early. So now, I have demanded that he comes in no later than nine and leaves no earlier than five.“

“Has that made him or the team more effective?” I asked.

“I’m not sure,” she responded.

After interviewing the employee, I learned that he would often stay very late and sometimes come in very early to get projects done. He thought that it was really important to make sure that he met deadlines and milestones to make sure that projects were completed on time.

However, every time he left early his manager would question why he was not working a “full-day.”

No matter how many times he showed her that he had come in early or worked over the weekend or worked very late the day before, she would tell him that leaving early wasn’t fair to everyone else who was working on “full day” schedule.

She kept demanding that he was at his desk at nine and stay at least until five o’clock. He finally stopped coming in early or staying late, concluding, “If she wants me to work eight hours every day that I will, no more and no less.“

Creating an Environment of Trust

Like any healthy relationship, leaders and teams have to work in an environment where trust is high. This only happens if the relationship is an adult one.  Adults look for a few key elements in relationships:

Consistency

This is not about treating everyone exactly the same. Instead, consistency is about reacting to situations in a similar way regardless of who’s involved. It is important to adults that they don’t have to guess how the person they’re talking to is going to react.

Without consistency people tend to act in a way that is the least likely to “get them in trouble”, which often has people be guarded and defensive. There is little trust without consistency.

“Trust is built with consistency.” ~ Lincoln Chafee

Transparency

Nothing is worse than feeling like you don’t know what is going on in your workplace.  When employees are surprised about issues, problems or concerns there is little room for trust. It is imperative to make sure that employees know as much as possible.

“The principles of radical transparency improve business performance in terms of focus, engagement, and growing and recruiting talent.” ~ Ryan Smith and Golnaz Tabibnia

Autonomy

Giving an employee the latitude, authority and responsibility to complete the responsibilities of a job is not only a great way to treat an adult, it is good for business.

“Autonomous motivation has proven to generate higher productivity, less burnout, and greater levels of psychological well-being.” ~ Chad Renado

Everyone is Accountable

There is a caveat though with this approach.  There has to be accountability from top to bottom.  The team members, managers and leaders all have to be held accountable for their actions, successes and failures.  It has to be known and acceptable to

  • Reward well when goals are met and teams are successful.
  • Give nothing or take action when they are not.

It is not about firing people, but making sure that each person makes their very best effort to reach and exceed personal, team and organizational goals.

“Greater accountability eliminates the time and energy spent in unproductive behavior that produces wasted effort and confusing distractions.  Everyone is clear about what they are responsible to accomplish and take action to make that happen.” ~ The Oz Principle

Treating employees like adults frees them up to do great things and create results not thought possible.

“Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results. ~ George S. Patton

Are you surprised by your team’s awesome results and accomplishments?  What kind of environment are you creating?

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———————
Anil Saxena
Anil Saxena is a Senior Consultant and Business Partner with Coffman Organization
He helps organizations create environments that generate repeatable superior results
Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Web | Blog | (888) 999-0940 x-730

Image Sources: 3.bp.blogspot.com

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