Leadership Solutions from Read Solutions Group

When Leaders Resist

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:34:00 +0000

In December I attended a workshop on Creating a Lean Culture. The focus of the discussion was on what Toyota has done to establish a culture of continuous improvement in its operations. While Toyota has developed a unique culture (despite the recent recalls), it is difficult to translate the Toyota Way into other organizational contexts. This is particularly true for the companies that are implementing Lean or Six Sigma concepts in existing, reasonably successful companies or operating units. Yet the question among the workshop attendees was often not “What should we be doing?” but rather, “What do you do when a leader resists?”

It often appears and it’s certainly conventional wisdom that whether the change in lean, six sigma, a new IT system, or a benefits change, some leaders and managers will resist the change. When it’s the successful, seasoned mid-level leaders, it can be extraordinarily difficult to bring them around. This article speaks to a few strategies that can prove useful in breaking down the resistance and inviting these leaders to join the change. While the example is a lean implementation, I encourage you to rewrite this story with the change that is underway in your organization.

Meet Larry. Larry is a plant manager. He’s been at this facility for 15 years, the last 7 as plant manager. He’s successfully managed or led the plant through capital projects, labor negotiations, environmental incidents, seasons of sold-out production and full line shutdowns. The plant safety scores are continuously improving and he regularly meets his cost reduction targets. Larry is well-respected at his plant, within in his community, by his peers and by the business head. Having outlived most of the corporate programs, he’s expecting to do it again with this change.

Larry’s a smart guy. He’s joined the tours to “best practice” facilities. He’s read the articles. He’s listened to the successes, challenges and failures of his colleagues who’ve moved forward with the changes. He doesn’t argue that it won’t work. He doesn’t block the consultants from running their workshops. He even gives one of his people, perhaps not one of his stars, the role of project lead, and dutifully reports at the quarterly reviews the work that is going on at the plant. Yet everyone knows that that little is actually happening.

Larry may be someone you know, or you may need to influence people like Larry. I invite you to read the rest of this article to identify some strategies for working with Larry. If none of its working for you, or you’ve lost patience, give me a call and we can talk about how I can I support you in developing new strategies, or I can work directly with Larry in moving through the change.

As mentioned before, Larry is smart guy and he’s seen and heard all of the evidence. Nonetheless, as organizations frequently made up of engineers and accountants, we fall back on trying to move him with either 1) evidence or 2) management “persuasion”. Consider how ineffective solid evidence is in changing many behaviors, such as, flossing, exercise, smoking, speeding, etc. While evidence of the value of a change is critically important, the most compelling evidence to a person if what they experience. Larry’s evidence is that he’s been successful, is successful, and believes that he knows how to continue to be successful. Furthermore, Larry knows that his past success has involved avoiding these “passing fads”.

Before considering useful strategies, we want to begin with recasting the resistance. In 1999, Dent and Goldberg in “Challenging A Resistance to Change” argue that accepting the conventional wisdom that people naturally resist change leads to counter-productive behaviors. Instead of looking at ways to overcome resistance (read more in my last newsletter) , we’ll explore ways to influence behavior.

It’s too big, too much or unclear. Look to the success stories to identify for the “vital behaviors” – the smallest set of behaviors that will have the greatest impact. These are not thoughts, values, or qualities, but the very few “must do’s” that done consistently and persistently will lead to change. For more on Vital Behaviors see Influencer by Patterson, Grenny, et al.
People resist loss, not change. In the SCARF model suggested by David Rock (Your Brain at Work), apparent resistant may come from feared changes in Status, Control, Autonomy, Relatedness, or Fairness. Explore and acknowledge what people may lose. Once the fears are identified, opportunities arise to address the fear, alter the change to minimize the impact, or allow the person to set aside the fear and proceed.
Unclear alignment with personal goals. Support people in uncovering their goals and how the change fits in with them. Perhaps Larry is motivated by seeing teams get energized – show how your change will make that happen. Maybe Larry wants to keep things quiet until retirement, so taking a risk and working hard isn’t motivating; can he see this as leaving a legacy? Spend time on the values, goal and purpose looking for the places of alignment.
“You’re not listening.” Ford and Ford in Harvard Business Review April 2009 remind us to look at resistance as feedback. Focus on the purpose of the change and invite discussion, engagement, involvement and even refusal as you refine the change effort.
Plan for a marathon, not a sprint. New behaviors are often not easy and take time to become comfortable. People will experience challenges from others and from existing systems, and so need ongoing support. Unexpected roadblocks will arise. Build support teams, provide regular communications, celebrate what’s working, and add fun into the change.

It often seems like most people are not wired for change; yet the reality is that we are marvelously equipped to accept, adapt to and adopt change. It is a reality of all elements of our lives – in our homes, in our family life, in our education, in our careers, in our economics, in our jobs. We may not always respond rationally to a change, but then doesn’t that in itself, give us clues on what strategies may begin to influence behavior.

For help working with leaders who are (apparently) resisting change, send me an email at Sherry@ReadSolutionsGroup.com or leave a comment on the posting.

Four Rooms of Change

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:29:00 +0000

I had the opportunity to listen to Kenny Moore, the Monk from "The CEO and the Monk" speak. He introduced the "Four Rooms of Change Theory" developed by Claes Janssen. While similar to other change models, this one offers some imagery that may be useful in conversations with managers. As with all models, it has some limitations.

The premise is that all systems - individuals, teams, communities, organizations - live in a within a space of four rooms; often referred to as a 4 room apartment. The rooms within this apartment are Contentment, Denial, Confusion and Renewal. According to Moore, people move from one room to the next when 1) they are ready, 2) life invites them, and 3) reality kicks them.

When we look at this model in the context of organizational change, its very simplicity enables its use with management teams. It is easy to relate each room to life experiences, as Janssen and his collaborators have done.

What makes the model interesting for these discussions is the premise that people move of their own accord. As leaders, we can not push, pull, threaten or entice people from one room to the next. We can, however, work to "keep the doors open".

As we look more deeply at this model, we begin to notice the following questions:
1. How do people behave in each room?
2. What are the most effective leadership tools aligned with the behaviors each room?
3. If every room is a necessary part of the change, what is the value of each room?
4. Is there a way to "decorate" or light each room that makes it a safe place?
5. How do we keep the doors open? Are there different strategies for different rooms?
6. What organizational systems and structures keep doors open? Which ones shut doors?
7. Is it true that the best thing that leaders can do is keep the doors open, and not push, pull, threaten or entice?

If you've used this model, I invite your comments and thoughts. I'll use future blog posts to delve into my questions.

People resist loss, not change

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:12:00 +0000

So much is written about why employees resist change. Yet it takes little time to find research supporting the concept that resistance is an interpretation of the situation from the eyes of the change agent. In fact, most people recognize that change is inevitable - a reality of life.

What people might resist is loss - loss of status, loss of certainty, loss of control, etc. Or perhaps they are mistrustful - whether of the message or the messenger.

What will the change agent see when they expect resistance to change? What will they miss when they focus their efforts on overcoming resistance to change?

Creating Catalysts

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:59:00 +0000

Would you like to see your leaders creating breakthrough shifts in how the work is done? Would you like to see them consistently and naturally drawing together teams from all parts of the business to develop new and creative solutions? Would you like to see your leaders developing new ways for people to work together? Would you like to see your leaders routinely evaluating their own assumptions and working to understand the work through differing perspectives?
Leaders who operate in these modes are Catalysts … catalysts for change. Whether driving LEAN manufacturing through an organization, moving into new markets, or integrating acquisitions, Catalysts have grown beyond the Achievers in their ability to bring people together to move a vision into reality.

In the preceding postings, we have been exploring a competency model for leadership outlined by Joiner and Josephs in their recent book “Leadership Agility”. This newsletter will look at the implementation of Lean manufacturing system to point out the differences in how Achievers and Catalysts might approach the same work. We’ll end by identifying development opportunities that can be used to support competency development to the Catalyst level.

Consider the premise that there is always a way “to create more value with less work.” That is the basis of the process management philosophy exemplified by the Toyota Production System and now described simply as Lean (reference http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lean_manufacturing). Let’s see if we can contrast how Lloyd, an Achiever, and Susan, a Catalyst might proceed in leading a Lean implementation.

Lloyd is energized by the opportunity to lead the Lean transformation team for his organization. He believes strongly its philosophies and practices. He’s got a proven track record of being able to diagnose and resolve problems with innovative solutions. He knows that the key to his success will be in persuading others that Lean is a key to the future of his organization.

Susan is fascinated by the successes some companies have achieved with Lean. She’s also been exploring what sets apart the best from those that aren’t succeeding. She knows that the tools and structures are important, but has recognized that the key to success is in establishing a clear vision and then getting people from all levels of the organization involved. Susan has seen that if she can create a new way of working together, people will feel excited, empowered and energized. But she also knows that there will be a lot of different opinions on the value of lean and how to implement it. She is looking forward to getting the conflicts out on the table so that the best solutions arise.

Three months into the project Lloyd is noticing that the Purchasing group is routinely not following through on their team commitment. He knows that his conversation with the Purchasing Director will be pivotal. Before the meeting, Lloyd meets with his coach to prepare for this conversation. Lloyd’s coach helps him get clear on the outcomes he is seeking and the relationship he wants to have with the Purchasing Director. In the meeting, he is able to gain a better perspective on the challenges in Purchasing, while reminding the Purchasing Director of the management attention this project is getting. He leaves with agreement to Purchasing will live up to their commitments.

While initially engaged in the work, Susan is noticing that the production planning group is resisting some of the initiatives. In reflecting on an earlier conversation with the Production Planning Manager, she realizes that neither of them really opened up about their differing priorities and there was no real commitment; in fact, the conversation created more distrust. Susan knows that she needs to lead the Lean implementation – it’s not negotiable – but that she needs to be looking for collaboration in the solution. Susan has learned that in the upcoming conversation that she’ll need to be explicit with her key priorities and assumptions throughout the conversation, and that she’ll need to be asking the questions to learn about the priorities and assumptions in Production Planning. With awareness of her own intent and behavior throughout the conversation, Susan was able to find opportunities for joint problem solving.

Lloyd is pleased to get some feedback from his management and HR that he’s really grown into his role as a manager. His team meetings are well attended and include a comfortable balance of information sharing and problem-solving. He’s finding that he can back away from troubleshooting specific problems and spend most of his time motivating his team members, providing support, breaking down barriers, and keeping everyone moving together.

Susan believes that the best solutions come from exploring a variety of perspectives, but is concerned that her participative approach will be seen as too “soft”. With the encouragement of her coach, she has begun to experiment with her team meetings in order to find a balanced power style. She works at encouraging discussion that examines issues from different perspectives. Her team is learning that sometimes she is looking to strengthen her idea, sometimes she is looking for new ideas, sometimes she negotiate a compromise within the team to keep things moving forward, and sometimes she lets her team have their way. She is realizing that valuing input is not the same as giving up her authority to decide the direction. She also finding ways to delegate leadership to people within her team and seeing this is accelerating their development.

Reflect on the stories of Lloyd and Susan. Who would you rather have working for you? Who would you rather have as a boss? Which organization will achieve the greatest transformation?

The Catalyst level is a natural extension of the Achiever. The Achiever can be counted on to deliver results with a focus on solving the current problems and involving others through persuasion. The Catalyst is at a stage in his career when he sees the personal and organizational value in stepping out of the old ways of doing business, in building a participative team, and in finding creative ways to develop his direct reports.

To develop an Achiever to the Catalyst level, coaching will focus on the following areas:

Deepening awareness of beliefs, values, and assumptions about yourself and others
Discovering the interest in and value for helping others succeed
Finding out what’s important to other people and connecting with it to make a difference for them
Shifting from motivating and directing others to coaching and training
Involving others in collaborative problem solving
Increasing self-awareness in the moment, and learning how to adjust feelings and behaviors throughout interpersonal interactions
Seeking and incorporating feedback into personal development

For more information on how Sherry L. Read, Principal and Executive Coach, Read Solutions Group works with developing and senior leaders to raise their competencies, contact Sherry at Sherry@ReadSolutionsGroup.com.

The Achievers

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:28:00 +0000

The last posting described the Expert Leader in the following way:

The Expert Leader is a strong, tactical problem-solver; someone you love to have
on your team. You can depend on them to get the job done day after day. Yet the
Expert Leader is often so focused on being seen as right that they forget to
look at the bigger picture, or to bring other people along with them.

The Achiever combines leadership with technical capabilities in order to play on a bigger field. Let’s follow Mary from the last newsletter, on her career path to Regional Sales Manager. A few months into the job, Mary feels as though she has never worked harder in her life. There seem to be challenges with every client, personnel issues that are not being addressed, and errors being with the customer accounts. She says that she has no problem with delegation, yet it seems as though nothing is ever quite good enough for her. She wants to have real team meetings, but can barely find the time to get the work done. While Mary has been promoted, at this stage, her leadership skills remain at the Expert level.

Believing in Mary’s potential, her boss hires an executive coach. In reflecting on her desires for her leadership style, Mary tells her coach that she wants to create an environment where her team is both challenged and motivated, and where she can work on broader issues. With the support of her coach, Mary begins to schedule biweekly team meetings with the agenda focused on the key projects she has identified that will support sales throughout the region. She is seeing opportunities to use her team’s initiatives to change the sales process for the division. Mary is disciplining herself to listen more, use more questions than answers, and to choose the times when she makes the decision. Mary is making the shift to Achiever Level Leadership.

At the Achiever Level, leaders spend an increasing time delivering organizational outcomes versus solving discrete problems. They see their priority as delivering on the mandates of senior leadership and other stakeholders. The Achiever motivates his team by focusing on the larger objectives, inviting discussion, creative and healthy debate. He shifts his emphasis from managing tasks to managing people. This latter shift requires the Achiever to become more skillful and comfortable engaging in crucial conversations.

Coaching at the Achiever Level

Build self-awareness and intent: Challenge the developing achiever to explore their experiences and strengths. Ask for reflections on personal growth – “How are you changing? How are you still the same as in earlier periods of your life?” Ask the Achiever to investigate how their actions reflect their values and beliefs. Inquire into the discrepancies between stated values and observable behaviors. Support the Achiever in building a coherent set of values and beliefs that will support their development as leaders.

Develop a breadth of perspective: The Achiever develops the ability to look at problems through an adjustable lens - zooming in and out on problems – looking forward and back, over short and long intervals. Invite the Achiever to envision a range of possibilities, to be open to “a right answer” rather than “the right answer”. Encourage the Achiever to analyze situations for patterns and to use this learning to find new ways to solve old problems. Notice that the Achiever, while aware of bias and error, will still depend heavily on their own sources of data and experience, and can become quickly closed to other perspectives.

Use your team: The Achiever focuses more energy around motivating others, rather than giving orders. Question the Achiever on how she is using team meetings. – are they being used to gain buy-in and test their own ideas, or is the Achiever using the meetings to cast a wide net for new ideas? Is the team truly supportive of the leader’s direction or are there concerns and opportunities being left unsaid?

Tackle the crucial conversations: Coach the Achiever to explore the areas where they are holding back. The authors of Crucial Conversations tell us that these are conversations where the stakes are high, emotions may be high and there is an expectation of opposing opinions. Learning and practicing skills, employing them with all stakeholders, and growing with each experience is key to developing through this level.

Achievers are the key to leadership at many organizations today. They are strong at outlining their vision for an organization, at rallying the troops and executing on outcomes. They explore the landscape for changes in strategy, let go of the day-to-day, and are motivated by the success of the organization. Focusing on the behaviors above will enhance the success of the Achiever.

The Expert Leader

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:52:00 +0000

Mary is a sales manager responsible for leading a team to develop and maintain at key accounts. She has garnered the respect of her team and her leadership through her keen ability to resolve issues with the customers. When there’s a problem, she analyzes the situation, thinks through options, defends her position and takes pride in working through to a successful conclusion.

Mary is typical of leadership at the Expert Level. She is a strong problem-solver who had developed an ability to think independently, to analyze the situation and to take a stand when she knows she’s right. With a focus on the steps to be taken and the desired outcomes, she leads her team through implementations of the solutions. She works hard to develop, support and defend her team, making sure that she is always pushing them for further growth. She thrives on being seen as the expert who understands the business and the customers.

Expert Leaders build strong relationships within their organization and with their management, yet tend to put little energy into building relationships with other units. The Expert Leader’s focus on analysis and tactics frequently leads them to focusing more on the “rightness” of their position, rather than buy-in, from their own group or from other key stakeholders. They frequently overlook the impact of stakeholder’s views on the ultimate effectiveness of a solution. Driving to solve problems, the Expert Leader deals with each issue as a discrete problem, often losing the opportunity to step back and find a broader, innovative solution.

The Expert Leader is unlikely to seek feedback from her team or peers. This plays out in different ways, depending on the natural style of the individual. With an assertive style, she will frequently overlook or dismiss options that suggest she’s less than fully correct. With an accommodating style, he’ll frequently overload himself with work, correcting other’s work to his standards, and limiting his availability to give feedback and coaching. A key development challenge for the Expert Leader is finding a style that opens them up to giving and receiving feedback.

Within her organizational unit, an Expert Leader is likely to function more as a supervisor than a manager. Problem-solving and direction-setting discussions are typically held one-on-one, with group meetings relegated to information sharing. In fact, the direct reports of an Expert Leader are likely to function as a group, at best, and rarely as the team that might arise if the Expert Leader were more open to other opinions and options.

Developing the Expert Leader

Define the leadership ideal. The Expert Leader is working towards an ideal of being smart, efficient, capable, and looked to as the Expert. Challenge the Expert Leader to observe the style of leaders they admire, and to notice how they look to and motivate others to make more strategic changes.
Learn to seek feedback. The Expert Leader finds it faster and more efficient to advocate for their position. Seeking feedback requires the Expert Leader to find a balance between efficiency and effectiveness. Feedback can start with understanding the impact of their style through a 360 assessment. In addition, the Expert Leader can be challenged to notice when input from a broader group resulted in a better outcome. The Expert Leader is often unaware of how their biases, beliefs and standards may blind them to alternatives; place the Expert Leader into situations where their existing frameworks cannot be taken for granted.
Build team leadership skills. The Expert Leader can be coached to use meetings to generate and listen to ideas, to leverage the skills of the team members and to build group understanding and buy-in to a direction. The Expert Leader may need to retain ultimate decision-making authority; yet schooled in curiosity and inquiry, the Expert Leader can learn how to develop a team.

In the next posting, we’ll contrast the Expert Leader with the Achiever in how they view leadership, how they manage pivotal conversations, and their agility in leading teams.

A Model for Leadership Agility

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:35:00 +0000

At the International Coach Federation Conference in November 2008, I was introduced to a new leadership competency model. A model focused on enabling leadership in a rapidly changing world. I invite the reader of my blog to join with me on a journey through the book. By summarizing the work of the authors in these writings, I process the information for myself, and hopefully encourage you to look more deeply into this insightful book, and into your own development as a leader.

A competency is defined as a measurable characteristic of a person related to success at work. It can be a skill, an attribute, or an attitude. Competency models can span the range from what it takes to be a successful professional – Action-orientation, Interpersonal Communication, Integrity – to senior-level positions – Managing Vision, Strategic Thinking, Dealing with Paradox. Yet if, as columnist Eric Dezenhall of BusinessWeek suggests, crises are the rule, not the exception, for Obama, as the leader of the United States, what then faces the business leader in this world of globalization, economic crises, requirements for rapid change, uncertainty and new competition - a paradoxical place of diversity and connectedness. While traditional competency models remain valid and informative, the question is do they go far enough to address the agility needed to keep pace, or lead, in this complex world.

Joiner and Josephs posit a competency model for leaders exploring levels of agility in four key areas – context-setting, stakeholder, creativity, and self-leadership in their book Leadership Agility: Five Levels of Mastery for Anticipating and Initiating Change.

Context-setting agility involves scanning the situation, evaluating the changes taking place and considering the best initiatives in light of your purpose.
Stakeholder agility requires the ability to understand the perspectives and realities of those people and organizations that have a stake in, or will be impacted by your initiatives, and to consider how best to engage them.
Creative agility involves learning from past experiences as well as seeking new and different ways of solving complex problems.
Self-leadership agility requires discipline and skill in self-awareness of thoughts, feeling and behaviors, and the motivation to continue to develop and grow.

Joiner and Josephs define five levels in each in of these areas which when combined are named Expert, Achiever, Catalyst, Co-Creator and Synergist. At each of these levels, they define the typical set of behaviors that would be seen in how leadership is viewed, pivotal conversations, agility in leading teams, and organizational change leadership. Let’s look briefly at how these five levels might vary by looking a leader new into his or her role.

Expert: When the expert steps into a new role with energy, drive and leadership, they jump right in. Meetings are held everyone, reports and data are combed through, conclusions are drawn, new directions are set and communicated and the Expert leads the organization in solving the key problems.

Achiever: The achiever arrives with a clear understanding of her mandate. She spends a lot of time getting to know her team, being visible, and creating a consistent message of the direction of the organization. She brings her team together to outline the strategy, and works with them to evaluate whether the right structure and people are in place to reach the goals.

Catalyst: The catalyst looks beyond the mandate to how to achieve the objectives and create a sustainable high performance organization. He’s met with thought leaders throughout the organization and encouraged his team to do so as well. He’s engaged three levels and more in an interactive strategic planning process. When he finds resistance in the organization, he seeks creative solutions that support execution of the developing plans.

Co-Creator: The co-creator knows that she will need to achieve the desired business outcomes and develop a high performance organization, but she additionally sets her sights on how to be an industry leader in corporate responsibility. She outlines her short-, near-, and long-term vision for the organization; she engages people inside and outside the firm in questions of how to strengthen relationships, and she models and coaches her team on collaboration and broad accountability. The co-creator drives the ongoing message of how profitability and social responsibility go hand-in-hand.

Synergist: The synergist builds on all of his competencies in building collaborative teams, delivering results and driving organizational change. He creates a leadership team that can collective drive the vision with the organization, freeing the synergist to focus on building unique, varied, and ground-shifting partnerships, collaborations. The synergist asks the questions about how to deliver the results in the right way, with the right people and bring about positive change in the world at large.

Each level builds on the skills, experiences and competencies of the prior levels. Each requires more of the leader in terms of context-setting, stakeholder engagement, creativity and self-leadership. The question to ask is which level would you like to have as your leader, and at which level are you demonstrating leadership?

In subsequent postings, we’ll explore each of these five levels in more detail and look at how to develop the competencies in how leadership is viewed, pivotal conversations, agility in leading teams, and organizational change that move leaders up the levels.

Too Nice Organizations?

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:03:00 +0000

"There's very little conflict in our company."

"This is a really nice place to work; everyone gets along."

"Whenever there are differences of opinion, they are easily resolve."

Sounds like a great place to work, doesn't it? Or does it? Can an organization be too nice?

This issue explores the question of whether creativity and innovation are founded on differences - differences of perspective, differences of opinion, and dare we say it, a bit of conflict.

The Role of Conflict in Creativity

What is creativity? MacKinnon in his book In Search of Human Effectiveness: Identifying and Developing Creativity defines five criteria:

novelty and originality
an adaptation to reality
capable of being produced, sustained, evaluated, elaborated, developed, and communicated to others
true and beautiful or "aesthetically pleasing"
creating "new conditions of human existence, transcending and transforming the generally accepted experience of man by introducing new principles that defy tradition and change radically man's view of the world."

Are all five criterion essential? The truly innovative organizations strive to meet all five. The rest, in order to survive and thrive within an environment of rapid, unceasing change, need to novel, original products, services and processes that both the requirements of reality, continuous development and understandability.

Rothenberg in Creativity and Madness, proposes that true creative inspiration results from unconscious anxieties within the creator. By grappling with the effort to understand the genuine meaning of an inspiration or idea, the creator resolves the conflict by gaining insight, and, perhaps, generating a product. Creativity, then, is a process that begins when one recognizes a problem, not immediately apparent, to be solved.

Conflict occurs when two or more "people have incompatible interest, goals, principles or feelings" (Capobianco, Davis, and Kraus) and further, when these points of view appear to create limitations upon one another. The differences may be express covertly or overtly, resulting in a competition,
or conflict.

In fact, Ulrich and Smallwood content that "Leadership inevitably involves conflict". Leaders are the ones called upon to take risks, decide on the close calls, and influence change. By their very nature, strong leaders recognize that some portion of their audience is unlikely to agree with them, while some are open to being convinced.

Yet many potentially strong leaders and organizations are embarrassed by conflict, and refuse to deal with it openly. Sy Landau notes that this attitude forces conflict underground, where at best it limits creativity and at works, it festers and spreads.

Innovative leaders and organization recognize that it is only in opening up to all points of view, that truly creative solutions can be found. What can you do to improve the conflict-competence of your leadership, team and organization?

Define the need for creativity within your organizational and strategic construct
Address and resolve systemic and structural issues that are not aligned with your strategy
Create a language and skill set that enables constructive conflict
Ensure a climate of trust, safety and respect for other perspectives and experiences
Teach people how to separate personal conflict from task conflict

So what's your thinking? Can an organization be too nice? Are the differences of perspective, differences of opinion, and dare we say it, conflict being swept buried? What new ideas, products, services and processes might be generated if the differences were brought to light by conflict-competent team?

If you'd like to learn more about how to build conflict-competent leaders and teams, please contact me.

Experience Meetings a New Way

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:21:00 +0000

This posting is based on and adapted from the section "Seeing from Within an Organization" in the book Presence by Senge, Scharmer, Jaworski and Flowers.

Edgar Schein, a founder of the field of organizational psychology, said "If you want to understand an organization's culture, go to a meeting."

To experience meetings in a new way, consider how you can apply Schein's insights in a systematic way. Rather than participating normally, pay attention to what is going on ... and to your own reactions.

Who speaks? Who doesn't?
What issues are addressed? Which are avoided?
What's the pink elephant in the room that no one will mention?
Who is listened to? Who isn't?
What kinds of words figure promptly in the language of the powerful? the ignored?
What can you learn from the body language?

For the aficionado of meetings and office politics, there's nothing new to those questions. Where the new learning often comes is through reflecting on your own thoughts and feelings.

During the meeting, take quick note of your reactions. Later look at the event in detail, consider what you heard, what you say, and what you felt.

When do you feel safe? feel threatened?
When are you confused? When are you clear on what is being said?
Where were you fully present and engaged? Where were you distracted?
Were you feeling conflict? feeling in agreement?
What assumptions of your own are you noticing?

Then stretch your experience even further and imagine how different people were experiencing the same events. What do you learn about yourself by imagining the experience of others?

In spending the time to process your experience over a series of meetings alone and with your coach, you will deepen your understanding of the organization's culture - its norms, beliefs and fundamental assumptions. You can start to see yourself as a part of that culture, noticing where you contribute to the patterns of behavior. And perhaps you'll finally ask yourself the question,

What am I doing - in my actions, thoughts and feelings - to maintain these patterns as they are?

... and then,

Is this what I want to be doing?

Is Hard Work Enough?

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:51:00 +0000

You've met them - the colleagues and friends who are dedicated to their job. They spend 12 hours a day, nights and weekends meeting with customers, solving problems, researching alternatives, writing reports, making presentations, delivering results; yet others get the opportunities and promotions. They are as smart (or possibly smarter) than their bosses. They can see the problems and solutions. They know what should be done. And look at the work they continue to deliver. Maybe if they just work a bit harder?

In their book, Execution, Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan talk about the "doer" - "the person who is a little less conceptual but is absolutely determined to succeed will usually find the right people and get them together to achieve objectives". The doer doesn't hang his or her hat on the right answer, the right solution, the correct and detailed report. The doers are the ones "who energize people, are decisive on tough issues, get things done through others, and follow through as second nature."

Energizing Others

Energy starts with a vision and direction; yet the leaders who create, rather than drain energy from their colleagues and teams, are the ones who turn that picture of success into short-term accomplishments, increased capabilities and increased confidence. Think of the coaches who stand on the sidelines yelling at their teams, where the players operate from fear of failure. Now think of the coaches who keep the focus on the next play, point on the good moves, identify what should be done differently next time, and push the players to prepare well physically and mentally for each game. It's not just the rhetoric, it's not the vision of a winning game, it's the focus on each step toward the winning game.

Being Decisive

Being decisive and being right are too often confused in the minds of those colleagues working all hours. Being right can lead to over-analysis. It can lead to an answer that is optimal but too radical. It can lead to rigidity when flexibility is required.

By contrast, "decisiveness is the ability to make difficult decisions swiftly and well, and act on them", according to Bossidy and Charan. It is the combination of the ability to confront a tough situation, make a sound decision,and lead others forward, that can separate the good thinker from the doer.

Achieving Through and With Others

Yet as pointed out above, the good decision, well-articulated, is insufficient for true success. It is only through developing and using influence skills that the doer accomplishes the necessary outcomes. The successful doer builds a social network that enables her to stay on top of shifting organizational priorities and maintain valuable relationships. He knows how much support to ask for, and when. She knows where she can count on support and where she has something of value that will help to gain support. He knows that communication up, down and sideways on the objectives, key steps, milestones, challenges, and achievements is key for keeping an initiative on track and people supportive of the outcomes. She has learned that organizations are made of interdependent people, and only by developing in herself, and in others, new and better ways to work together will success be achieved.

When you see your colleagues with their head down, working all hours, striving for the best, and wondering why they seem to be passed over time and time again, ask them to consider the following:

What portion of your time is spent getting to the right answer compared to making sure you understand whether you are working on the current priorities? Compare that picture with others. What might be the benefits of shifting your time allocation?
What portion of your time is spent on task vs relationship? How does that compare to the people being promoted?
What is your energy like on a daily basis? Are you creating or draining the energy of the people around you?
Are you making decisions on issues at the right level for your job, neither too detailed, nor too high-level?
What systems do you have in place to keep informed about shifting organizational (and personal) priorities?
Do you adjust your approach to meet the needs of the people around you?
How can you learn more about the needs and wants of the people who work above, along side, and for you? What can you do with that information that supports both their success and your own?
How do you handle conflict in ways that advance your cause?
What ways do you have of getting clear and effective feedback and of continually developing yourself?

Strong skills, talents, and hard work are prerequisites to success, yet they are insufficient in most organizations. Working up, down and sideways; knowing your own and other's motivators; enhancing energy; being decisive at the right level; and knowing how to influence others, frequently outweigh working hard to find the correct answer. Most often, a range of solutions will work - the win then goes to the one who can bring about the results, while building capability and energy for the next challenge in the people around them.

If you'd like to learn more about how to develop behaviors in your organization that deliver results while building capability and energy, please contact me.

Challenges in Adapting

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:48:00 +0000

Recent posts have been exploring the seven behaviors most commonly seen in derailing a career. [Links connect to original publication in Read Solutions Group newsletter.]

Believing that skill and results are the sole keys to success
Being arrogant and not open to feedback, introspection and personal growth
Consistently acknowledging yourself for the successes and blaming others for the failures
Failing to staff and develop a strong team
Lack of composure
Unwilling to adapt to change and compromise
Inability to develop a strong professional network, internal and external to the organization.

From the final two career stallers – willingness to change and expecting results to be the key to success – with change present in my life, we’ll focus on the outcomes of resisting change and compromise, what might ensue during a change and how you can support yourself and others in change and compromise.

Let’s start with some definitions appropriate for this career staller, offered by www.dictionary.com:

To adapt is to adjust oneself to different conditions, environment, etc.

Change, the noun, means the supplanting of one thing by another.
To compromise is to settle difference by mutual concessions; an agreement reached by adjustment of conflicting or opposing claims, principles, etc., by reciprocal modification of demands. An alternative definition for compromise used, as a noun, is an endangering, especially of reputation; exposure to danger, suspicion, etc.
Willingness is freedom from reluctance; readiness of the mind to do or forbear.

This staller appears in the person who seems to resist new programs, philosophies or even people. They may be seen as disagreeing inappropriately, vocally, or perhaps subversively with senior management. Conversely, Buckingham and Clifton in their book, Now, Discover Your Strengths define the person with a strength in adaptability as one who lives in the moment, seeing the future not as a fixed destination but one that is discovered a choice at a time. The adaptable person responds willingly to current demands, even if pulled from original plans.

With credit markets and currencies gyrating wildly, with companies turning overnight from sound financial institutions to those warranting a government bailout, an ever-increasing pace of change is a certainty. If so, then does adaptability become even more important – perhaps a key competency to develop? Adaptable behaviors will involve a readiness to explore change, openness to new ideas and the opinions of others, and skill at challenging ideas and people in constructive ways.

At the base is what Runde and Flanagan in Becoming a Conflict Competent Leader: How You and Your Organization Can Manage Conflict Effectively define as the passive-constructive behavior of “adapting”. They define adapting behavior as “staying flexible and trying to make the best out of situation”. This can range from taking a positive attitude, to making adjustments that will minimize unnecessary problems in the future. At the most skillful level, active-constructive conflict behaviors include “perspective taking” and “creating solutions”; that is, the ability to clearly understand the other person’s point of view and then to work with them to arrive at a resolution.

At the heart of change is conflict – conflict in perceptions of the “right way”, conflict in understanding, conflict in expected outcomes, conflicts in beliefs and knowledge, conflicts with prior experience. Increasing skills in conflict management becomes key in improving adaptability. When we are clearer on whether a change is worth it, and learn how to make the change, then we can move forward. Skillful conflict management enables an individual to dig into the why, to be clear on the impact, to explore what is known and what is not, and then to create a solution that skirts endangerment and allows for broader success.

Runde and Flanagan offer the following suggestions for these constructive conflict behaviors:

Listen to understand rather than debate
Practice active listening to ensure that you are clearly hearing the message
Never stop at one potential solution
Explore the viability of multiple options to gain greater understanding of the constraints
Gain agreement on the path forward and possible future decision points

Not only is change inevitable, the pace of change continues to accelerate. So, where does that leave the serenity prayer that suggests that you should “ask for the serenity to accept the things you cannot change, the courage to change the things you can, and the wisdom to know the difference?” Perhaps the wisdom lies in knowing that the only thing in our lives over which we have control is ourselves. When we couple with that the wisdom that changing ourselves can be extraordinarily difficult, perhaps we’ll also find the courage and skill to willingly adapt to change.

Maintain Your Composure

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:07:00 +0000

Few articles start without an internet search, and this one was no different.I found that among the definitions of composure a band named Composure and a number of drugs, including one for pets. Merriam-Webster Online defines composure as a "calmness or repose especially of mind, bearing, or appearance: self-possession." I couldn't resist following the link to self-possession and finding this further definition, "control of one's emotions or reactions especially when under stress: presence of mind." And on to presence of mind to find "self-control so maintained in an emergency or in an embarrassing situation that one can say or do the right thing.

As I followed this trail, the challenges with our language became clear. Dictionary.com defines composure as "serene, self-controlled state of mind; calmness; tranquility", yet I suspect few of the leaders giving people development feedback are asking them to become tranquil. Rather, pulling together the Merriam Webster trail, composure as we use it in the workplace is about controlling one's reactions, especially under stress, in order to say or do the right thing. It's not about being perpetually calm. It's not even about controlling your emotion: passion is fine, anger is not. It's about what you CHOOSE to do, say, or display and therefore about gaining control.

How do you gain control? Become aware of your hot buttons. When do you become especially upset? Are you bothered by people who are unreliable? What about people who are untrustworthy? Does close monitoring of work, perhaps micro-managing make you crazy? Perfectionisms? Too much detail? Sarcasm? Insults? Roadblocks? Yelling? Once you have identified your hot button(s), reflect on what in these situations causes you the biggest concern. Consider what steps you can take to minimize or avoid situations where your hot buttons are triggered. Evaluate how you would prefer to respond in future situations. Develop a set of strategies for cooling down, for riding it out, or for changing the dynamic. Consider ways in which you might be able to have a positive impact on the situation or person, before, during or after the event. Enlist a partner in providing feedback, intervening, or making suggestions.

Change requires a number of steps: identifying your goals, defining actions, experimenting, getting feedback, staying the course and celebrating the win. If lack of composure is something that might be holding back someone in your organization, consider using feedback, assessments, coaches, observation, and experimentation to assist them in their development.

Remember, when you hear a message about composure, it is is not about stress reduction, achieving tranquility or creating a calm environment. It is about saying, doing and modeling the right things under stress.

Always keep your composure.
You can't score from the penalty box; and to win, you have to score.
Bobby Hull, Canadian Hockey Player

Why Bother Networking?

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:26:00 +0000

Between your work responsibilities, home life and a bit of socializing, how could you possibly fit in networking? Unfortunately, leaving the development of a strong professional network at the bottom of your priority list could prove to be a career derailer. It is the professional and personal relationships that you form inside and outside an organization that give you the edge and the ability to leverage your skills and abilities in delivering results.

In "Networking is vital for successful managers", Herminia Ibarra provides a framework for thinking about your networks. She identifies three types: operational, personal and strategic.

The operational network is the relationships you develop in order to get your work done. This may your link into human resources, your peers, or the finance organization. No doubt, you have already created this network. The question is whether you have gone beyond your day to day job and sought connections with people in other parts of the organization? Whether you are networking with people who can give you new perspectives, offer insights into the motivations of those you seek to influence, and keep you apprised of changes in the organizational dynamic?

Personal networks occur in alumni associations, on the golf course, with former colleagues, and with neighbors. While these networks may require less frequent interaction, ignoring them leaves you vulnerable should a career shift occur. It is this network that most people lean on when making a career change. Predicting when you will need to call on this network is quite difficult in the face of ongoing acquisition and divestiture activity, combined with an economic downturn.

It is only with careful planning that leaders build and use strategic networks. These are the networks that provide insights into what is occurring in your industry, profession and related technologies. Whether seeking an innovative idea, a pre-emptive business strategy or a quick job change, the strategic network provides the strongest leaders an advantage in both "what they know" and "who they know".

Time may be the obvious answer to why networks are nourished by rising managers and leaders. Yet truer reason is that many people find networking difficult or distasteful. Certainly if the network is built only to use in a crisis, when the connections are insincere, the process can seem manipulative. The reality is that networks should be built on respect and nurtured to provide mutual benefit. The networker generous with his connections, knowledge and information will find his network expands rapidly when needed, if ever.

Professional networking sites such as LinkedIn allow you to connect and to reconnect with classmates, former colleagues and others you may have lost touch with. When you connect, take a moment to engage in an email exchange to update the relationship and to reestablish the relationship. When you can build networks that encompass broad differences of backgrounds and experiences, you greatly enhance your capability of reaching out the person who can help you the most, whether with information or contacts.

Remember to:

Be sincere - everyone has an interesting story, perspective or history
Don't ask for (or expect) payback
Respect other people's time
Follow through on promises
Say thank-you.

"It is not what you know,

it is not who you know,

it is what you know about who you know."

Develop strength; deliver value

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:39:00 +0000

Good managers, and certainly every coach, asks you what you believe are your strengths. Following shortly after that will be a discussion of the area you want to work on. Marshall Goldsmith and David Ulrich carry this exercise one step further - they ask you to think about how you can build on your strengths in a way that will strengthen others.

Think about the implications of that for just a moment. The question then becomes "How can you build upon your strengths in a way that will deliver improved results through others?"

In an article in Workforce Management, David Ulrich, a leading thinker in Leadership and Human Resources, offers suggestions to HR professionals on how they can build their strengths with the goal of increased value to their organizations. He highlights the following:

Focus on outcomes, not activities - Always be able to finish your work proposals with "so that ...."
Help leaders define their results - What is all that development and building on strength going to bring about in terms of business results?
Build a positive culture from the outside in - Start with what the company wants to be known for by the customers and investors.
Be a contributor by working with business leaders on their issues - How do your HR programs help the business deliver its financial and customer objectives?
Be curious - Learn about the business, the leaders, the customers, and focus your learning on how you can help them succeed.

CEO Best Advice - Get a Coach

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:46:00 +0000

Eric Schmidt of Google suggests in this short Fortune video clip that every successful person needs a coach. He notes that the one thing that most of us need help with with is seeing themselves as others see them.

http://money.cnn.com/video/fortune/2009/06/19/f_ba_schmidt_google.fortune/

What do you think?

How do leaders get in the way of Lean, Six Sigma and other improvement projects?

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:47:00 +0000

How have you seen leaders get in the way or slow down lean, six sigma and other improvement projects?

Sharing Success

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:57:00 +0000

When projects succeed, when proposals are accepted, when businesses exceed their targets, do you take the credit? When things go wrong, do you blame the team, blame the economy, blame some undefined others?

How do you feel when your leadership brags to the shareholders about the business success ... and blames you when the results don't meet the plan?

When we blame others for failures, we lose the ability to look at our own behaviors and contributions to the failures. When we blame others for the failures, we lose their support, commitment and engagement with future efforts. When we bask in the light of success, without sharing it, we run the risk of undermining future support and lose the opportunity to develop and highlight the talent in our organizations.

John C. Maxwell says "Let those you lead outshine you. If they shine brightly enough, it's reflected on you." Organizations today look to their leaders to deliver results in an effective manner and to develop the talent in the organization. By privately and publicly acknowledging the contributions and results of others, you strengthen the network that will enable your success in future situations, you encourage continued contributions from others, and you motivate others to excel.

The next time there's a problem or a success, pay attention to language. Problem's are best handled with "I" statements that accept responsibility for the situation and subsequent action items. When there's a success to be discussed, it's best in terms of "We / He / She / the team".

Finally, consider all of the possible forms of acknowledgment that you can use. David Rock in his book, Quiet Leadership, outlines six forms of verbal recognition that serve as a good reminder to the ways that we can acknowledge, coach, motivate and recognize others.

Appreciation - I really appreciate you completing that report on time.
Validation - I can see you’ve given this report a lot of thought and attention.
Recognition - It’s clear you are a very talented writer.
Affirmation - I think you deserve all the credit for this project.
Confirmation - It’s great you took on this project; it suits your style.
Thanking - Thanks for taking the time to focus 100% on this project.

When you cultivate a solutions focus to problems and failures, and combine that with praising efforts and rewarding results, you will find your team making the extra effort to deliver the results that will reflect well on you.

Read Solutions Group works with organizations and leaders to develop an understanding of the business and organizational challenges, develop the direction appropriate for the culture and size of the organization, provide focused targeted training and/or facilitated workshops, and support the delivery of a solution. Whether one-on-one with key leaders or working hand-in-hand with your leadership team, Sherry Read will stimulate the creative thought processes to generate a wider range of practical, value-adding solutions to business, managerial and human resource issues.

Help me with my Branding

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:14:00 +0000

Could you take 5 minutes to give me some input?

I am gathering the thoughts of leaders, managers and professionals around the world in order to best position my business to meet your needs.

The survey has only 3 questions plus a space for any additional comments you may have. It's short and sweet, and like all feedback, incredibly valuable to me.

Click here to take survey

Thank you for helping me to be the best I can be.

Sherry L. Read

Principal
Read Solutions Group
www.ReadSolutionsGroup.com
Sherry@ReadSolutionsGroup.com
+1 (302) 545-2892

Time is Money

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Sun, 17 May 2009 16:48:00 +0000

Whether in a matrix organization with different functions and bosses, in a job that combines project work with team management or as a entrepreneur with too many opportunities to pursue, most of us are pulled in too many directions at once. You may have set a resolution to get your time under control, yet one month into the year, the fires seem to be burning hotter than ever before. Here are a few tips for taking back your time.

Look at your professional time in terms of Return on Investment (ROI). Some efforts provide a quick fast return, others are an investment with returns to be delivered in the future. Too often, though, we spend our time on efforts that use up our precious time and reap little or no reward. Standard financial axioms include set your priorities, create a plan and track yourself against it, cut back on waste, don't procrastinate on taking action, allow for the unexpected, invest in the future, and get help.

The challenge is that time remains a fixed budget - it doesn't accrue, you can't grow it with investment - but you can make choices on what you do, when you do them and what you can stop doing.

Is Coaching a Fad?

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Sun, 17 May 2009 16:46:00 +0000

With so many organizations rushing to develop programs for managers as coaches, is coaching turning into a fad?

A recent presentation sponsored by the Human Capital Institute, and given by Peyton Daniel and Anne Doster of DBM gave the statistics that over 80% of the respondents to their survey used "coaching skills training" at least sometimes, and nearly 70% were using external executive coaches at least sometimes. Now, survey samples are notoriously, so we don't want you to conclude that coaching is, as yet, that prevalent. But could it be well on its way to becoming too fashionable for its own good? The perquisite to go with the corner office? The emblem of the high-potential? The consultant's favorite gig?

Before we dismiss coaching and mentoring as another passing fad, let's look at more closer what current research is showing us about executive coaching.

Executive coaching is found increasingly on a routine basis for C-level execs, and both less frequently and less often for senior executives; and almost never for non-managers.
The primary drivers for coaching are:
- Derailed executives
- Enabling capable executives to achieve greater excellence
- Supporting the development of high-potential employees
- Improving team effectiveness
Executive cite benefits for coaching to include
- Continuous one-on-one attention
- Expanded thinking through dialogue with a curious outsider
- Increased self-awareness, including blind spots
- Personal accountability for development
- Effective learning delivered just-in-time
Coaching failures are linked to
- Lack of commitment from the client
- Lack of clear goals and purpose
- Client too busy to focus on developmental goals
- A mismatch between client and coach
- Client's manager is not involved or supporting
ROI ranges from the value of the coaching investment up to more than 500% depending on study cited
Successful coaching engagements have:
- Coach evaluation including
  - Coaching methodology
  - Senior-level business, industry and/or functional experience
  - Chemistry with client
  - Measurement system
- A willing client
  - Open to increasing their self-awareness and enhancing their personal growth
  - Entering coaching with enthusiasm, interest and a commitment of time
- Measure the ROI of all coaching assignments using
  - Achievement of agreed-upon objectives, including performance metrics as appropriate
  - Evaluations by client, clients boss, and coach
  - 360 assessments
- Clear expectations around the process from initial meeting, overall time commitment (typical agreements are 4 to 6 months, twice per month), confidentiality, and management support and involvement

David B. Peterson, in a chapter on Coaching and Mentoring Programs, adds depth to this research report by outlining the major assumptions around effective coaching. His assumptions about positive, proactive coaching are modified and included below.

People are motivated to learn and grow; the coach's role is to clarify and engage that motivation
Insight is ever-evolving and should be developed through the coaching process, whether initiated with a current situation or a 360 assessment
While coach can and does provide feedback, the main goal of the coaching is to enable the client to gather and gain their own insights
Coaches should be expert in helping people learn how to change and adjust their behaviors to become more effective, with a goal of enhancing ongoing learning and development
Coaching is about achieving results by working on the areas of greatest leverage and payback.

The executive coaching methodology practiced at Read Solutions Groups is then to provide customized coaching that moves iteratively through the following steps:

Clarify personal goals, values and motivations
Develop insights into what needs to be developed
Establish and agree to measures for success
Evaluate reasons for and barriers to change
Explore or chose alternative ways of behaving
Practice new skills and behaviors
Develop action plan and measure progress, watching for additional insights
Ensure that other people and structures are put in place to support progress and ongoing feedback

So, is coaching a fad? Studies, whether focused on feedback from executives, clients or HR, point to solid returns on the investment of coaching when the systems employ recommendations like those above.

Email us to receive references to additional studies on executive coaching.

Steps in Building a Strong Team

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Sun, 17 May 2009 16:44:00 +0000

There are three key steps to building a strong team.

1. Own the development process

A strong leader holds himself or herself accountability for the development of others. Research suggests that the most successful leaders, over the long-term, spend upwards of 50% of their time focused on the issues of their team and the people in the organizations. Beyond time, the strong leader holds others accountable for development - requiring measures, reports and an equal focus on the development and leadership of talent in an organization. Finally, the organization must build systems, process and rigor that support the identification, develop and measurement of talent and talent development.

2. Balance the use of internal and external candidates

Internal candidates, too often, are hampered by the very fact that they are known quantities. Their history, their past blunders, their flaws are all part of the corporate stories. Rather than being looked at from the perspective of current competencies and results, old stories reflecting old news are resurrected as evidence of an incomplete package. External candidates bring a patina of freshness, and packaging focusing on their strengths and accomplishments. Hidden underneath this packaging lurk questions about flaws, motivations, and cultural fit. While systems exist to reduce these risks, failure to integrate at more senior levels carries both high risk and a high impact on the organization.

3. Knit together complementary team skills

Each person brings their own strengths and limitations to the team. While the first step is to recognize these differences, and to staff the team with complementary skills, the successful leader knits the team together. With a clear understanding of each other's strengths, a strong vision for the future, a clear expectation for how the team are to work together, and a culture that supports and rewards working together to achieve goals, a leader can create a strong team that complements and supports one another.

To assess yourself, your team or your organization, consider the following:

Does your team know their strengths?
Has the organization defined metrics and targets for people development?
Are there systems for identifying, developing and measuring talent?
Is there a staffing plan that balances internal development and staffing with external hires?
Are there established expectations about how teams work together?
Is there an environment where working together is encouraged and rewarded?

Tackling the Derailer of Arrogance

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Sun, 17 May 2009 16:43:00 +0000

Why is arrogance a problem? You are successful; you may even be the Managing Director or CEO. Why would you, of all people, need to worry that not being open to feedback, introspection or personal growth could derail your career? The 2003 book, Why CEOs Fail by D.L. Dotlich and P.C. Cairo identifies arrogance - the belief that you're right and everyone else is wrong - as one of the leading causes of executive faillure. If it can bring down whole companies, what effect could it be having on your career?

What are the behaviors that could lead to derailment? The arrogant leader may be self-confident to the point of making other feel inferior. By limiting or dismissing the input of others, the arrogant leader may miss or discount crucial information. He may seem self-absorbed, aloof and cold, bruising the egos of others on their team. She may been seen as too independent, promoting her own careers and success over others.

How do you change? Change begins with self-awareness. Replay your mental tapes of earlier discussions about your style. Look carefully at the behaviors you portray at home where there may be more direct feedback. Have a 360 assessment done. Watch the reactions of others. Look for signs that your relationships are not what you believe them to be. Challenge your belief that your arrogance has supported your success.

Change requires that you begin to be curious about what others think; that you seek and accept feedback, holding tight against the natural tendency to defend and explain. Consider enlisting a confidant, coach or trusted colleague who can give you objective feedback, and help you assess and monitor your progress.

Look at situations where you've encountered significant roadblocks or failure, and write down the answers to the following questions:

What would your worst critics say contributed to the situations?

What behaviors did you use when you were stuck or close to failure?

What signals did you miss?

With your trusted partner, identify the patterns of behavior that have supported your success, and also led to your difficulties.

The biggest adjustment in behavior comes in seeking, listening to and responding with sincere interest and curiousity to other's views and opinions. As Marshall Goldsmith advises, leave out of your conversation the words, no, but, and however, and add the words thank you. You may be surprised what you learn.

Seven Career Derailers

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Sun, 17 May 2009 16:38:00 +0000

"What is a career derailer?" you ask. Imagine if you will a successful professional, receiving promotions and raises with incredible frequency. The titles get better and a team leader role follows. Then a manager, and a department manager. And then something happens. Questions begin to be asked about whether she can build a team, whether he can think strategically, whether she has what it takes. That fast track career has stalled, or worse yet, fallen off the tracks - a career derailed. This set of seven behaviors are among the ones most commonly seen in derailing a career.

Believing that skill and results are the sole keys to success
Being arrogant and not open to feedback, introspection and personal growth
Consistently acknowledging yourself for the successes and blaming others for the failures
Failing to staff and develop a strong team
Lack of composure
Unwilling to adapt to change and compromise
Inability to develop a strong professional network, internal and external to the organization

Research indicates that leaders who are open to feedback, introspection and personal growth can, and do, learn to overcome these potential career stallers.

There are tons of positives in the world!

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 08:50:00 +0000

Enough with the dreary world news that ignores all that is good in the world and in our lives!

This week join the International Coach Academy (ICA), a global leader in coach training, in bringing about as much positive energy as we can. The huge economic crisis has created difficult or challenging times for many and we want to do something to acknowledge and support our global community.

Join us for one, or all, of our positivity teleclasses as we open up the virtual doors of ICA for the world to share their positivity intent.

Register now - > http://tinyurl.com/cy7tba

----------------------------------------
POSITIVITY TELESEMINARS (23rd to 29th March 2009)
----------------------------------------

** Positive Tips & Personal Stories **
With: Alexia Michiels
When: Monday 23 March at 10 am NY EDT

** Positive Stories on Relationships **
With: Angela Bird
When: Tuesday 24 March at 7 pm NY EDT

** Positive Stories About Your Career as a Coach **
With: Prabha Chandrasekhar
When: Wednesday 25 March at 10 am NY EDT

** Positive Stories on Social Responsibility **
With: Isabelle King
When: Thursday 26 March at 8 pm NY EDT

** Positive Perspective **
With: Nick Bosk
When: Friday 27 March at 10 am NY EDT

** Positive Opportunities **
With: Kathy Munoz
When: Saturday 28 March at 10 am NY EDT

** Positive Retreat **
With: Sheri Boone
When: Sunday 29 March at 10 am NY EDT

Register now - > http://tinyurl.com/cy7tba

If you are unable to attend the teleclasses, please still register your positivity intent. The teleclasses will be recorded and made available to all those who register.

Kid's Eye View on Relo?

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry L. Read) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:29:00 +0000

I was interviewed about experiences moving a child internationally in this article in HR Executive Online.

Relocating can mean a better job, better salary and increased responsibility -- but for children, it can mean disrupting school, friendships and activities. How can companies help turn those negatives around?

See the article at http://www.hreonline.com/HRE/story.jsp?storyId=169613755