Is Hard Work Enough?

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

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

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

Sharing Success

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.

Steps in Building a Strong Team

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?

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.

Tackling the Derailer of Arrogance

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:

1. What would your worst critics say contributed to the situations?
2. What behaviors did you use when you were stuck or close to failure?
3. 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

"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.