The Positive Leadership Blog

Things You Can Do! - Part 8 - When You Are the Boss!

Welcome to The Positive Leadership Blog sponsored by Mel Hawkins & Associates.  This is an open forum in which the principles of Positive Leadership are discussed and where the reader can ask for ideas about how to respond to a wide range of leadership challenges. 

Leadership is an art as well as a science and one develops one's own competency through diligent study, hard work, and practice.  While effective leadership must be centered on positive principles, each of us develops a unique style and personality as a leader through the daily practice of our craft.  The more we try, the more we learn and the more we learn, the more we can accomplish.

I began my first job as a supervisor in 1972.  As a result of some challenges very early in my leadership career, I became a student of leadership and I continue to learn every day.  In my management consulting practice, the service that brings me the most satisfaction is helping men and women learn and grow in their role as a leader. 

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Today's message:

Action Strategies at Work: When Your Are the Boss!

Accept that your most important resource is your people.  However imperfect they may seem and however many problems they may have caused they have more than enough potential to help your department succeed. 

    They are your people.  You either selected them or accepted them because they were thought to have the ability to do the job.  Now they are your people and you are responsible for developing their potential.  Remember that unless they are incompetent and/or unwilling, it is less expensive to remediate the problems they cause than to replace them.  Place your faith and trust in them; elevate your expectations.  If you are forced to conclude that your people do not have the potential your department requires, it is your responsibility to do something about it. 

 

    Let your people know what the company’s objectives are and let them know when it succeeds or fails and how you and they have contributed to that success or failure.  Do not withhold data about the company’s performance.  Remember that knowledge is power.  Most employees have an intuitive understanding of what it takes to be profitable and, with a little help from you, to teach them how to understand the numbers, you will likely be surprised at the manner of their response. 

    One of the best ways to do this is to give them specific information relating to the expectations of your customers.

 

Let your people know what your department’s job is and how it contributes to the success of the business.  Also let them know how your department interacts with other departments and how these departments mutually support one another.  Make certain your people understand how their jobs fit in the program and how they contribute to the success of the department and to the business as a whole.  Identify the internal supply chains that exist for each department.  Make sure they understand who exists to serve whom.  Who are their internal customers and what are the expectations of these customers.

 

Whenever possible help your people set specific goals and objectives.  This does not mean setting those expectations for them.  Expectations should be as high as possible as long as they are achievable and the more your employees participated in setting those expectations the more powerful they will be.  Then, measure performance and publish the results.  Find something to count.  Celebrate all victories.

  Let your people know that your job, as their supervisor, is to help them succeed, and then, do your job.

 

Become a strong advocate.  Fight for your people and stand up for them.  See that they get the credit when they deserve it. 

 

Take advantage of every opportunity to give positive feedback and recognition.  Feedback is not something that should occur on a schedule or on special occasions.  Positive feedback should comprise a significant part of what we do, each and every day.

 

Establish an atmosphere that concerns itself with solving problems not fixing the blame.  Allow for mistakes and for failure.  Give recognition for a good try.  The only people who never make mistakes are those that never accept a challenge and never extend themselves.  Recall the adage that says that “unless you fall down once in a while, you are not really skiing.”  Remember that mistakes are nothing more than wonderful learning opportunities.

 

Make a commitment to listen.  Seek out the ideas and suggestions of your people and act on them.  Establish a system of incentives that will encourage more ideas and suggestions.  Let people know the outcome of their ideas and suggestions.

 

Manage on the move, out amongst your employees.  Never underestimate the power of your physical presence and the number of opportunities your presence creates.  Avoid the ivory tower image.

 

 Operate with an open-door policy.  Contrary to popular belief, an open-door policy does not weaken the chain of command.  The rule of thumb is that “you can and should listen to anyone, anytime, but avoid taking action until you have heard all sides, gathered the facts, and involve all of the appropriate participants.” Schedule times when you are available – otherwise your time will be devoured by circumstances beyond your control and the open-door policy will be a myth.  Your people know how busy you are and that there are many demands for your time.  When you guarantee time for them it will help them appreciate how precious your time is and how important they are that you are willing to share it with them.  Remember that the best open-door policy is the one in which the boss is going out among the people as well as allowing the people to come to the boss.

You will not be able to solve all of their problems but you will establish a positive atmosphere that will be fertile ground for productivity and excellence.

Offer structured opportunities through which your employees can communicate with you.  Create focus groups, have informal lunch meetings.  Invite people to brain-storming sessions.

 

   Handle problems, don’t create them.  Take action to resolve problem situations and to respond to problem behavior by people, face-to-face, eyeball-to-eyeball.  Rather than criticize or punish people, deal with the natural consequences of behavior.  Leave personalities out of it as much as possible.  Solve problems at the lowest possible level.

 

   Avoid the temptation to legislate solutions to problems.  This gets the supervisor off the hook, temporarily, of having to deal with a problem, but it punishes the whole unit or department and it does not address the underlying problem.  After all, behaviors are nothing more than symptoms of underlying issues.  More often than not, it is the employee’s lack of commitment to the mission that is driving undesirable behavior.  Don’t make the innocent majority suffer for the misdeeds of the few.  In these situations the innocent taste the bitterness of injustice and nothing destroys trust in leadership more than perceived injustice.  Use the “few rules theory of leadership.”

Rules are the studs, joists, and rafters of bureaucracies.  When the behavior of an individual compromises the mission or purpose of an organization, positive leaders go to the source.  Positive leaders begin with the assumption that the individual wants to do a good job but has, somehow, been diverted from their purpose.  Positive leaders view these events as opportunities to teach and also opportunities to build trust.  They begin by reminding themselves of their purpose as a positive leader, which is to help individual men and women be successful. 

“Hold on a minute!” you might say. “That is not the outcome we are seeking.” 

A leader’s focus on outcomes, whether desirable or not, shifts the focus away from the individual.  Imagine how differently you feel when someone accuses you of doing something wrong, compared to a simple response of surprise that the outcome of the effort was not what we wanted or expected.  It changes the entire dynamics of the conversation.  Positive leaders have the highest possible expectations of their people and they avoid searching for evil intent. 

Inevitably, even in the career of the most positive leader, there will be men and women with the intent to work in the disinterest of their organization.  Exemplary leaders are always shocked to discover people of bad character because they expect the best of everyone.  When an individual to whom every consideration has been given, proves him or herself as untrustworthy, positive leaders respond with the gavel of certain justice.  These leaders respond unhesitatingly and unequivocally.  At the moment when the positive leader becomes convinced that an individual can no longer be trusted, the leader’s efforts shift immediately from the focus on remediation to one of acting in the best interests of the organization.  Rarely are the interests of an organization served by hesitation or vacillation.  Positive leaders waste no time and immediately get the individual out of the organization.

 

Learn as many names as possible and smile at the people you encounter.  Acknowledge your people as valuable human beings.  Treat them with dignity and respect.  People do not normally respond to embarrassment or humiliation.  “KAP!  Kick Ass Privately” when it is necessary to kick ass at all. Make people feel important.  Have a training session for your entire management team to teach them how to make people feel important.

 

Your integrity and your character are you most important assets.  You do not have to be right all the time nor do you need to win all of the battles.

 

    Vent your frustrations and express your doubts only to your peers or to your boss.  Even the penultimate leader feels doubt and frustration – after all they are human beings. It is okay to be human.  What distinguishes positive leaders from their less effective counterparts is the recognition of their responsibility to put the interests of their organization and its people ahead of their personal interests.  They vent their frustrations appropriately.  Require the same of your staff.  Encourage them to vent their frustrations to you.  Once a policy is made by management, don’t burden your staff with your disagreement or disenchantment with that policy.  Carry out the policy with the same positive enthusiasm you would display if it were your pet project or idea.  If you are a strong advocate, as you well should be, you will have given testimony of your opinion in the policy formation process.  In dealing with your staff, encourage them to express their honest opinion about every topic until such time as a decision is made.  Once the decision is made, expect them to support it enthusiastically. 

 

 Let your people know that you trust them to do their job, to produce results, to meet deadlines, to achieve objectives.  Then let them do their jobs.  Don’t look over their shoulder until they have missed their deadlines.  Give them honest feedback about their results.  Remember that trust is one of the most important characteristics of a successful organization.  Work hard to earn their trust in you.

 

 

You are the leader – so lead!  Be proactive!  Be decisive!  Accept responsibility!  Keep an eye on the future! 

 

Build teamwork!  Talk to your people about the role you want them to play and about its importance to the organization.  See that they get recognition for that contribution and that they get to share in victories as a full member of the team.  Intermix individual performance goals with team goals.  If an individual’s performance holds the team back, involve the team in the resolution.

 

Insist on the facts!  Know your department inside and out.  Know what it produces and how much it costs to produce it.  Don’t be afraid of the facts.  They can be a powerful tool to get things done and the more you and your people know about your operation the better your outcomes.

 

Teach your people to accept responsibility for their jobs!  When they come to you with problems or questions, use it as an opportunity to teach them how to think for themselves.  Good leaders resist the temptation, when the employee is stuck on a problem, to take over and solve it.  The goal is not to solve the problem and show how smart you are; the goal is to help the employee solve the problem and to teach them how smart he or she can be.  Ask them what they think.  They may be extremely reluctant to share their ideas with you for fear of looking stupid, but ninety percent of the time they will have an idea that may lead to a solution.

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for the day.  Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime!”

 

Teach your people how to be strong and independent rather than weak and dependent!  Many supervisors think it necessary to keep their staff dependent on them when, in fact, this only weakens the organization.  Effective supervisors are constantly working to help their staff become independent within the scope of their jobs.

 

Expect your people to be the best and expect your department to be the best.  Make certain that your expectations are communicated to everyone.  There is substantial evidence to support that most people will strive to live up to or down to the expectations of their leaders.  There are very few people in the world who want to be a loser.  People will follow a leader with a winning attitude.  Leaders who believe their people are winners and who expect them to win, consistently produce winning teams.

 

Expect your people to be the best and expect your department to be the best.  Make certain that your expectations are communicated to everyone.  There is substantial evidence to support that most people will strive to live up to or down to the expectations of their leaders.  There are very few people in the world who want to be a loser.  People will follow a leader with a winning attitude.  Leaders who believe their people are winners and who expect them to win, consistently produce winning teams.

 

When confronted with problems take action to solve them.  When you have no authority to act, prepare a plan of action and present it to someone who does have authority. Give them enough information and sufficient options that they need only answer yes or no!  There is never an excuse for inaction unless the problem is found not to be a real problem.

 

Deal with people in terms of their and your intelligent self-interest.  Make decisions and take risks!  Be patient and tolerant, set standards for others that represent their capabilities, not yours.  Keep communication channels clear and rise above emotional barriers.  Above all, accept responsibility for everything that happens in your department.  But remember that responsibility and blame are not synonymous.  In fact, forget about blame.  Blame is a negative activity that contributes nothing to progress.

 

Set productivity goals that can be met by the majority of people in the workforce. Better yet, let your people establish their own productivity goals.  The object is to set them high enough to generate pride in achievement, but low enough that the majority begin to feel like winners.  Publish those objectives for the world to see and post the results just as prominently.  Let the results speak for themselves.  With each victory, raise the level of your expectations.

 

Begin the process of dismantling the bureaucracy.  Try to find one rule a month that can be abolished.  The more freedom you give your people the more responsibility you have a right to expect.  The more responsibility people have the greater their sense of ownership.  Establish the ritual of inviting your people to nominate one rule a month for the scrap pile.  You will also find this is an effective way to reduce your costs as each rule places an enforcement burden on the enterprise.

 

The list can go on and on.  Build on this list!  Use it as a springboard.  We’ve tried to leave room with each of these strategies for you to flesh them out with greater specificity.  Personalize them; tailor them to your individual tastes and preferences but, whatever, do something!  Act!

Remember that anything human beings can imagine, human beings can do.  Positive leaders believe in the possibilities and they believe in their people.  Positive leaders communicate mission, vision and values relentlessly. 

Positive leaders strive to become totally dispensable to their organization.  They do this by empowering their people and in the process they become invaluable.

The world needs you and you can do it.  You can make a difference!

Things You Can Do! - Part 7, At work as an employee.

 

This is the seventh in our series of articles about things positive leaders do to change the world around them. 

Action Strategies At Work:

When You Are the Employee:

   Give your best effort all of the time.  Take pride in the work you do regardless of how menial or sophisticated.  Focus your mind and your energies at all times on the end-customer who will derive benefit from that which you do whether that is someone outside of your organization or within.  Accept as your mission the responsibility for giving that customer the best product or service possible given the resources with which you are provided.

Value your job as an opportunity to contribute something of value to society.  Each and every job is part of the fabric that is our socio-economic system.  As complicated and remote as it may seem, each job done well, contributes value to the system.  In  J. D. Salinger’s Franny and Zooey, Zooey Glass reminds his younger sister Franny of something their eldest brother Seymour said, “do it for the fat lady.”

Seymour's "fat lady" was a symbolic representation of Jesus Christ.  The point Seymour wished to make for his younger siblings was that they should always do and look their best for Christ.  Doing so adds an element of beauty to the world.  The universe, which is the Creator's gift to mankind, may be vast and complicated but the contribution of individual men and women is still the primary determinant of the overall quality of life for all creatures.

Think in terms of primitive man’s early days when society was the extended family or tribe.  No matter how primitive the community, a clear division of labor existed in which all participants were expected to contribute according their talents and abilities.  The whole tribe derived benefit from a job well done and the whole tribe suffered if it was done poorly.  Although modern society is complex, things have not changed all that much.  What you do is still important to the welfare of the community and it is your responsibility to do it to the best of your ability.

   

Do not ask “what’s in it for me?”  Do not take the attitude that I will do it only when I’m certain of the reward.  Do it for the customer who will benefit, whether internal or external.  Do it for the community that depends on everyone to do his or her best; do it for your own pride and self esteem. 

    Put your trust in your employer.  Yes, there is risk that an employer may take advantage of you, that you may be exploited.  There is risk in all of life.  Someone has to break the cycle of mistrust, however, so why not let it be you?  And, do not be afraid to ask management to put its trust in you. 

   Do  not complain about things you don’t like or that make it more difficult to do your job.  Instead, propose a positive alternative.  Think through the issue and talk to other people who view the problem from a range of perspectives.  Then prepare a brief but simple action proposal and submit it to the appropriate authorities.  Do not worry about whether or not it will be approved.  Many of your suggestions will be ignored; some, however, will be accepted.  Some will be filed away for future reference and will re-surface when the time is ripe.  Other proposals will be scorned; and, some will spark a germ of an idea in the mind of someone else and will be a catalyst for change. 

Something else will happen, as well, as you develop a pattern of preparing action proposals.  If your ideas are positive and practical you will acquire a reputation as a problem-solver, as a leader, and as an employee to be listened to and respected.  Most important of all, the customer whom you serve will derive real benefit.  As this happens you will also earn the respect of your peers who will view you as an individual who can get management to take notice.  As a result, people will begin to recognize your leadership.  Never under-estimate the power of committed men and women.  They can and do change the world!  It happens everyday, everywhere.  You can too!

   

Talk to people and listen to them.  Smile at them and be friendly.  Help people to learn how to do their jobs.  Reach out to them.  Set a good example.  Don’t feel compelled to knuckle under to peer-pressure but instead, stand up for your values and principles. 

Be a hero.  When we were children we pretended to be heroes who would display our courage under even the most trying and dangerous circumstances.  The workforce daily presents opportunities for heroism and the world needs you every bit as desperately today as in wartime. And, the benefit to be derived from your leadership is vital to our society.  So go ahead!  Be a hero!  The worst thing that can happen to you as a result of your courage is that a few individuals with little minds and weak spines may make snide remarks.  They are inconsequential.  It is heroes that the world needs so earnestly.

    Work hard, be honest, stay late, volunteer for the tough assignments, innovate, streamline, establish a new standard, communicate with management, demonstrate your loyalty, say what needs to be said even in the face of danger.  Have strength and courage.  Dedicate yourself to doing the best job you can and expect – even demand – the same from those around you.  Our entire society, our way of life, is threatened by a lack of commitment and heroism; by the unwillingness of men and women to stand up for what is right and to give unselfishly of their talents and skills.  You can make a difference!  It is your duty to yourself, to your children, and to your children’s children.  It is also your duty to your sense of honor.  It is this kind of effort and courage that made America the beacon of hope for the world and it is this type of courage and effort that will revitalize and re-energize our nation, today and in the future.

 

Things You Can Do, Part 6 - Be Active in Your Community!

This is the sixth part of our series in discussion about things positive leaders can do to make a difference in the world around them. 

Be Active In Your Community!

            How much time and energy one devotes to one’s community will vary greatly according to the time of one’s life.  What is important is that each of us acknowledge a responsibility to our community, to society, and to the world as a whole.  Remember to think about things in the context of our most basic values:

1.      That every human being on the face of the Earth is a child of God and deserves our respect and concern

2.      That the universe is God’s gift to us

            We have an unyielding obligation to cherish life and the universe.  Everything we do must be judged in this context:  Does it or does it not affirm life?  We must:

·         Respect all human beings

·         Reject racism

·         Conserve and protect the Earth’s resources:

·         Conserve energy

·         Reduce solid waste

·         Protect the environment

·         Practice ecological consumerism (make purchasing decisions on the basis of a product’s environmental equation)

·         Participate in our government at the local, state and federal level by:

·         Voting

·         Paying taxes

·         Serving our country when called upon

·         Serving on jury duty when called

·         Answering census questionnaires

·         Help our neighbors

·         Take care of our property

·         Support the less fortunate with our energy, compassion, time, and money

·         Support our economy by doing our job to the best of our ability

·         Support our local educational systems, both public and private

·         Give something back to our community

None of us can afford to live in isolation or to abdicate responsibility for the world and its challenges.  Whether we accept it or not, the problems of the world will have an impact on our lives and on the lives of our loved ones.  None of the world’s problems can be effectively resolved without the help of each of us.  None of us are insignificant and each effort on the part of every individual makes a difference.  Remember the words of Jane Goodall,

The most important thing people can do for the future of the world is to realize that what they do matters.

Every child that grows up hungry, angry, ignorant, and estranged from the mainstream of our society, threatens the safety and quality of life of the entire community.  These children are our responsibility and the sooner we acknowledge that responsibility the better our chances of making a positive impact.  If every gainfully employed man or woman would reach back to help one disadvantaged child, there would not be enough disadvantaged children to go around.

Most of us look out at the immense problems in the world and feel overwhelmed and powerless.  This a normal human feeling but it is just that – a feeling.  We are not powerless and we need not feel overwhelmed.  We have the power to make a difference if only we will accept responsibility for the world around us – if only we will take the lead.

Give of yourself fully.  Take on a cause or a pet program and donate both time and money.  Make it a family affair and select something that you, your spouse, and children can do together.  If you are single, select a project that you and your friends can share. 

Former President George W. Bush’s 1988 campaign strategy of promoting “a thousand points of light” may or may not have been successful but it was an important acknowledgement that our government cannot solve all of our problems.  In fact, just the opposite is the case.  More often than not our government tends to create more problems than it solves.  The best solutions to our problems rest in the hands of individual men and women acting in concert and on principle.  You can make a difference.  More importantly, you must make a difference!

 

Things You Can Do, Part 5: Be a Better Spouse/Lover

This is the fifth in our series of action strategies for positive leaders.  Being a positive leader is a 360 degree responsibility.  Every aspect of our lives affects our ability to be a powerful positive leader and if we wish to fully develop our leadership skills we must focus on both our personal and professional lives.  This means devoting significant attention to our families.  Today we are concerned with our relationship with our spouse or lover. 

Be a Better Spouse or Lover

If you desire a better relationship with your spouse or lover be a positive leader and commit to becoming a better spouse or lover, a better partner in life. Whether you are a man or a woman, your job is to give of yourself; to wish happiness for  your partner and then to do whatever you can to make it happen.  This is your mission in life, to be a giver rather than a taker.  If you give of yourself fully, it is inevitable that your partner will give to you as well.

            Be your partner’s best friend.  Be his or her cheerleader, moral support, and advocate as well as lover and companion.  Take joy in his or her success in life because they are your successes as well.  Pull for them to be fulfilled in life and to be self-actualized.  Do all these things and your partner will return them in full measure.  It may not seem so at first, but by giving of yourself you are enriching your partner’s self-esteem.  The healthier your spouse or lover’s ego the more he or she is able to give.  Remember that “what goes around, comes around.”

            Make your partner feel that they are important and that what they do and say is also important.  Listen to them and communicate honestly.  Let them know that they can count on you for honest feedback and that they need not be embarrassed because of their imperfections.  The more you give and the more you share, the more you shall receive in return.

            Give fully of yourself sexually and learn what makes your partner happy.  Strive to give them pleasure and you will learn the magical secret of sexual fulfillment.  The more you give of yourself the more you receive in return.  When both partners strive equally to give the other pleasure, both will joyfully experience one of our Creator’s greatest gifts.  The secret is, once again, giving.  The more we give, the more we receive.  It is truly a prescription for life.

            When barriers are erected between you and your partner, break them down.  Talk to one another no matter how difficult it seems.  If you are unable to say it out loud, write a letter.  If the barriers loom too large, seek help from a trained professional.  Remember that the relationship is more important than anything you possess.  It is more important than the house, the cars; it is more important than anything but your self-esteem.  Your children are an inherent part of the relationship and not something separate and apart.

            The relationship must always enhance the self to be healthy.  If, at any time, the relationship seems to require that one partner give up his or her identity then the relationship is unhealthy.  Healthy relationships demand the absolute commitment to the well-being of one’s partner.  Each must be devoted to the other in this respect.  Anything short of this is selfishness and selfishness is the destructive force at the root of much of the trouble in not only our relationships but also in our society.

            Yes, there will be inevitable conflicts and differences of opinion.  Both partners will have strengths and weaknesses and the sharing will, at times, be unequal.  Neither has a right to expect perfection but both have the right to expect the best of one another.  When problems arise, do not keep score of who did what to whom or who owes what. 

            Help each other.  Share responsibilities.  Talk about the personal goals and expectations of each and divvy up responsibilities according to those goals and expectations.  Now that more and more women have careers, it is vital that the partners understand that a team effort is required at home.  Both partners must share equally with the responsibilities of childcare and home.  Remember that the best marriages and the healthiest children come from marriages that are distinguished by full partnership.

            Sharing a life together can be the single greatest joy in all of life.  It is greater than anything money can buy and it is worth any sacrifice.  It is the source of strength that can sustain each partner through all of the ups and downs of life and that will allow you to delight in your life, no matter what challenges life brings to bear.  When we see what is happening throughout our society, with the divorce rate and the break up of families, it is a sad thing.  It is a symptom of our systemic selfishness.  Many men and women make poor decisions when selecting their mate, relying on superficial criteria.  Then, we fail to give fully of ourselves in the effort to make the relationship work.

            We place our value in things that are, at their core, meaningless.  We want nice things: a beautiful house in a prestigious neighborhood, expensive furniture, nice cars, flashy toys, and nice vacations.  Some of us consider it imperative that they belong to the most exclusive country clubs.  We want all we can get, yet none of these things lead to joy and happiness.  They are not inherently bad things but it is the quest for their acquisition that can lead to disillusion and unhappiness.  The only joy in life comes through our relationships with our Creator, however we individually may choose to view the Creation, and with the people whom we love and cherish.  Things have no meaning and a life that has been dominated by the desire for material things is destined for heartbreak. 

            Rethink your values.  Examine the focus of your time and energy.  If that focus is on material things rather than on the people in your life then it is time for a radical realignment.  If you refocus that attention on your spouse, your children, your family and friends you will rediscover absolute joy in your life.

Things You Can Do: Part 4 - Spend Time with your Children

Things You Can Do: Part 4 - Spend Time with your Children

This is the fourth in our series of action strategies for positive leaders.  Being a positive leader is a 360 degree responsibility.  Every aspect of our lives effects our ability to be a powerful positive leader and if we wish to fully develop our leadership skills we must focus on both our personal and professional lives.  This means devoting significant attention to our families.  Today we are concerned with our relationship with our children.  Positive Leaders teach their children how to be Positive Leaders.

        Give of yourself to your family.  There are very few things in life that can bring as much joy as a happy family.  Devote yourself to your family.  There are many people in the world who have a limited number of personal possessions but yet experience the daily joy of being alive because of their family.  Put your family at the top of your priority list and make a commitment to family.

            Families mean children and our children deserve the absolute best that we have to offer.  What our children want and need are not nice things that we can buy for them.  There are few possessions that add real meaning to their lives.  What our children require are loving, giving, caring, sharing, supportive parents who spend time with them.  Parents who pay attention to them, teach them, listen to them, hold out expectations for them, protect them, set boundaries for them, and demand discipline of them.  These things are your responsibility.  Your children need you to be there for them, to be strong for them.  They need the best that you have to offer.  Here are just a few things you can do.

            Read to your children.  Parents who begin reading to their children when they are infants not only establish a pattern of literacy but also create strong emotional bonds.  Think about the process of reading.  It involves spending time with your children in an activity that is emotionally, physically, and intellectually intimate.  We hold them on our lap, cuddle up next to them in an easy chair or in bed; we engage their imaginations; the sound of our voice becomes imprinted in their hearts and minds and memories; we share laughter, adventure, and an entire range of emotions. 

Play with your children.  Get down on the floor and play with them; enter their world.  Encourage their imaginations and let them explore new adventures while teaching them that they are safe and secure in your arms.  Teach them not to be afraid.

Find time each day.  Spend time with your children to make them feel special even if it is only a few moments.  Hold them in your lap, have a snack with them, sit down to a meal with them, talk to them. Ask about their day and then truly listen to what they have to say.  Take the time to understand the things that are going on in their lives.  Teach them that they can share victories and losses, sadness and joy, fears and aspirations with you.  Listen empathically.

            Do family things.  Go on outings, play games, help with their homework, do house or yard work together, take vacations together.  Tell them how special they are and tell them how much you love them.  Tell them stories about when they were little.  Tell them stories about you when you were a child.  Kid around with them and laugh with them, especially when they tease you.  Teach them how to laugh at themselves by laughing at your self.

            Give your children the structure of discipline.  Set clear guidelines and expectations.  Talk about values and about right and wrong.  Don’t be afraid to say no and don’t be talked into something you know in your heart isn’t right.  If your children throw a tantrum or keep begging for things, be strong for them and stand your ground.  Such tantrums truly are a test.  There is security in clear and definitive boundaries.  They need you to teach them that they cannot win those types of battles.  Teach them how to handle disappointment.

            Teach them responsibility.  Hold them accountable for their actions.  Do not shield you children from the natural consequences of their behavior.  Do not bail them out or protect them when they make mistakes, but don’t abandon them either.  Teach them how to admit their mistakes and to learn from them.  Teach them by example, by honestly admitting your own mistakes.  Teach them that mistakes are a natural part of learning, growing, and reaching for ever-higher goals and expectations.  Be there for your children.  Help them learn that even when they must stand alone that they are never truly alone; that we are with them always even in their moments of despair.   

            Set a good example for your children.  Lead the kind of life you want them to have.  Do not use the “Do as I say, not as I do!” approach.  Live your values and explain them along the way.  The way they observe you living your life provides a far more powerful model than anything you can do or say.  If your life is centered around things , if you look for ways to avoid hard work, if your behavior is illegal or immoral, if your values are shallow and superficial; these are the traits your children will emulate.  If, however, you embrace life with a positive spirit and attitude you are providing a model that will sustain them throughout their entire life, long after you are gone.

            Get involved with your children.  Visit them at school, volunteer to accompany their class on field trips.  Participate in Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts, 4-H, Little League, youth soccer, dance or music classes, etc.  Support their teachers and coaches and recognize that these and the other professionals who come into their lives are your partners.  Avoid creating scenarios in which your children find themselves in the middle of opposing forces.

            Hug your children at every opportunity, both physically and emotionally and don’t stop just because they get to be a certain age.  Kiss them and smile at them.  Remember that the children who are hardest to love are the ones that need it the most.  Remember that hugs, kisses and smiles are life-affirming to both the giver and the receiver.  Best of all they cost absolutely nothing.  They are free of charge and they are available in infinite quantity. 

Avoid the pitfalls of affluence.  One of the most difficult things in all of parenthood is to raise your children in affluence.  Parents who shower their children with material gifts and possessions, things that have not been earned by their hard work and accomplishment, create an entitlement personality.  Such personalities lead to selfish, empty, and unhappy lives. 

Teach your children to give of themselves.  It truly is better to give than to receive and there are few things in life that create as much joy as a generous heart.  Teach them also that giving of one’s self sometimes requires that we allow others to give to us.  Help them learn the art of gracious acceptance of the gifts of others.  Help them develop an abundance mentality in which there is always enough to go around.  Help them learn that being able to delight in the joys and successes of other people is a precious gift.

            Mitigate peer pressure. As your children get older, peer pressure will become a powerful force in their lives and unless you have done your job of preparing your children well, that peer pressure can literally alter the direction of your child’s life.  The answer is not transferring your son or daughter to a private school where they can be protected from the world.  The answer is to share with them the values they need so that they can live successfully in the real world.  Teach them how to socialize with their peers but give them the strength of character they will need to extricate themselves when the group goes too far.  Kids in possession of a healthy self-esteem and a clear value system are capable of making good decisions in even the most challenging of circumstances.

            Let them do it.  Don’t do it for your children if they can do it for themselves.  We learn by doing and parents that insist on doing everything for their children only create dependencies.  Teach your children to be strong and independent rather than weak and dependent.  Remember that spilled milk is easier to clean up than the mess we create when we raise children who cannot stand alone.  Also remember that being able to stand alone is not being alone.

            Remember what it was like when you were a child.  Do not expect perfection from your children and don’t expect it from yourself.  It is inevitable that you will make mistakes with your children, all parents do.  But children are remarkably resilient creatures and they will survive your mistakes as long as you do your best to love and cherish them.  Remember that, like you, they too are a child of God.

Time Out to Discuss Hard Economic Times

Hard Times Place a Premium on Positive Leadership

 

Tough economic times place a premium on leadership.  Business organizations face shrinking markets and pressures to reduce both prices and costs, which sometimes requires reductions in workforce.  Marginal businesses rarely survive these challenging times and business failures often decimate already fragile supply chains. 

            Not-for-profit agencies also struggle during times of economic crisis as they depend on donations that come from the excess disposable income of their supporters.  When donations decline, leaders of these organizations must make often difficult decisions to reduce services and, often, layoff staff.

            All organizations have vulnerabilities that are exposed during difficult times.  Although even the best organizations are challenged during tough times, the strongest almost always survive.  Inevitably, it is the quality of the leadership these organizations enjoy when times are good that often determines their endurance capability.

            Because leadership is so vital to survival, investments in leadership development must remain priorities, even during the worst of times. 

            Positive leaders hone their organization’s mission relentlessly and it is with equal relentlessness that they remind their people of that mission.  Positive leaders pay special attention to their customers, knowing that, in difficult times, customers often face special challenges from their own customers.  Often the success of one’s customers hinges on the ability of its suppliers to respond immediately to changing requirements.

            Positive leaders increase the level of communication with their people.  They understand that one of the most difficult things that their employees must endure during challenging times is the uncertainty.  Most people are intelligent enough to understand that their leadership has only so much control over the events that will determine their company’s future and, therefore, their own and that they must often make tough choices.  Having confidence that they can trust their leaders to keep them informed can be the one thing that can sustain morale through adversity.

            Positive leaders understand that the preservation of one’s most invaluable assets can be the difference maker between success and failure.  Positive leaders also understand that their most invaluable asset is their people and, even when difficult decisions are required, they make those decisions with the best interests of their people in mind.  This may mean asking some individuals to make significant sacrifices.

            Focus on the principles of positive leadership just like an athlete’s focus will shift to the fundamentals during those key moments of a competition.  Remember that you need not face these challenges alone.  Talk with the key members of your leadership team and accept their help and support.  Talk to you peers; they are dealing with the very same challenges.  If you have a relationship with a leadership consultant, take advantage of what he or she has to offer. 

            The survival of your organization requires that you be the absolute best leader you can be and how good you can be is limited only by your imagination, your passion, and your commitment to the principles of positive leadership.

 

Things You Can Do: Part 3 - Create Ownership Mentality

Create Ownership Mentality

           An ownership mentality exists when the people of a business take the quality of their organization’s products and services personally.  They feel and demonstrate a sense of responsibility for their organization, its people, and its products and services.  If something is amiss, never is it someone else’s responsibility to address it – it is always “my responsibility,” irrespective of the individual’s rank or position within the entity. 

Many organizations – business or otherwise – have a handful of people who think, feel, and behave like they own the place.  In organizations characterized as having an “ownership mentality,” everyone in the organizations not only thinks, feels, and behaves like they own the place but that is also expected of them. 

           

Organizations with an ownership mentality, as rare as they might be, are magical places.  Almost all are blessed with low turnover, high morale, innovative cultures, open communications between all levels of the organization and through all channels, and by consistent profitability.  These are also learning organizations where all players see the big picture and stretch the boundaries of conventional thinking.

           

Building an organization with an ownership mentality is not easy but it is eminently achievable provided leadership is totally committed to that objective.  Building such an organization is impossible if leadership’s commitment is negotiable under pressure.  Leaders will be successful in creating this culture by:

• Recognizing and demonstrating that your people are the most important asset
• Talking relentlessly about vision, mission, and values
• Sharing information openly
• Sharing the wealth proportionately
• Giving people a voice and listening to them
• Giving employees an unprecedented amount of control over the production process and compensation
• Focusing on outcomes
• Making everyone equally responsible for quality
• Holding everyone equally accountable, without exception
• Creating a virtual learning laboratory.

            In earlier articles we have addressed some of these items and the reader is invited to browse earlier postings (December 3, 2007 – People: Our Most Important Resource) (February 18, 2008 – Commitment to mission, Vision, and Values).  Several, however, require explanation.  We will discuss information sharing in this post and will continue our discussion in future posts.

Share Information Openly

 

            If you have not read Jack Stack’s The Great Game of Business, you are urged to do so.  In organizations with an ownership mentality, everyone has access to and is trained to read and understand financial statements and other management accounting tools.  Each department or work unit is also trained to know exactly how their department and their partners in the internal supply chain contribute to the overall financial performance of the company.  The employees know whether or not the company is profitable, whether or not it fell short of goals/objectives/targets.  And, when targets are not met, everyone can identify the breakdowns.

           

Now, there are many senior executives and business owners who freak out at the idea of sharing this information and who protest that the information will fall into the hands of the competition.  These men and women are just as adament

 That sharing information on profits and executive compensation will result in dire consequences.  This is particularly true in closely held entities.

           

Let’s respond to the first concern.  As unlikely as it is that one’s competition will seek out this information, there is little or no data that will create even a modest competitive advantage.  It is equally unlikely that one’s employees will share the info with outsiders, let alone competitors or other supply chain partners.  If, however, an employee is so bitter that he or she wants to do their company harm, operational information would be much more likely to peak the interest of and be valuable to competitors.

           

With respect to profits and executive compensation, it is not necessary to share specific compensation data.  The more important issue, however, is that the overwhelming majority of employees do not begrudge what their leadership earns unless there is something improper about that compensation or if it is excessive or extravagant.

           

Most employees understand fairness as long as they believe they are treated fairly.  When they enjoy some sort of profit-sharing opportunity this is even truer.  Particularly if the employee believes they have some ability to exert control over the process.

           

The outrageous extravagance of high-visibility CEOs, in recent years, has spawned an unusual level of resentment and mistrust on the part of the American worker.  As a result, transparency is of paramount importance.  Smaller, privately owned companies are not immune.  In one company with which I am familiar, the CEO/Owner flaunted an new luxury SUV after asking employees to give up their health insurance coverage.  Nothing diffuses suspicion like open disclosure of financial data and a sense that all share proportionately in good times and bad.

           

In smaller, closely held companies employees typically appreciate that their owners have made substantial investments in the company and that their own jobs are a result.  Ironically, while the enrichment of these owners is the least likely to be resented by employees, the owners themselves are the most reluctant to share information.  Few of those owners have any appreciation of the enormous opportunity cost that results from their reticence.

 

Things You Can Do, Part 2 - Relentless Improvement

 

A Positive Leader’s Vision: Relentless Improvement

            A positive leader’s ever-expanding vision for the future of his or her organization is an energizing force.  In this, as in so many things, positive leaders are relentless.

            If you are a leader and your vision has grown stale, your organization is in trouble and you need to do whatever it takes to recharge and revitalize yourself.  The very future of your organization depends on it – your organization depends on you!

            Put this quote on the wall of your office and at other high visibility locations throughout your facilities:

            "The point at which an idea, process, product, service, or organization can no longer be improved is the precise moment in time that it becomes obsolete."

            There are no leaders who can afford to become complacent and there are no organizations, whether for-profit or not-for-profit; whether manufacturers, assemblers, or service providers, that can afford to become stagnant.

            The pressure to survive, let alone prosper, in the economy of the next decade will be extraordinary and whatever one’s venue, entities that cannot compete will surely disappear.  This places an exceptional premium on positive leadership. 

            Many leaders feel over-whelmed by the challenges of leading their people through incessant change and relentless improvement – continuous improvement does not cut it anymore.

            Listen carefully – positive leaders neither live nor work in isolation.  Positive leaders recognize that every member of their organization is a partner and bears a share of the responsibility for the “relentless improvement” process.  Positive leaders enlist the full participation of the people and they create incentives for creative thinking. 

            Any leader that guards the creative and decision-making process and restricts participation to a select few is doomed to fail.  Make relentless improvement an expectation of everyone in your organization and include it in your performance management system.  Create ad hoc brainstorming teams, pulling people from all departments and levels of the organization.  Celebrate excellence and creativity at every opportunity.  Share information about performance and work to create an ownership mentality throughout your organization. 

As a leader, take the time to talk to as many of your people as possible.  Thank them for their effort, share your vision, and elevate both your expectation and theirs.  Teach your people to feel like winners and you will discover that there are few things in the work world more exciting than being a part of a winning organization.

Being part of a winning organization creates a self-perpetuating cycle in which a leader's vision seems to expand magically.  Just like an answer to a question will lead to multiple new questions, the introduction of a new idea spawns creation of a chain of new ideas.

 

Action Strategies for Positive Leaders

ACTION STRATEGIES:  Things You Can Do Today, Tomorrow, and the Next Day, Part 1

 This is the first of a series of articles written to explore specific things individual men and women can do to make a difference in the world around them.  Making a difference is what leadership is all about and, ultimately, each of us will be judged as a leader on the basis of how much of a difference did we make and toward what objectives.

 

Positive leaders are whole people and their leadership extends to all aspects of the world in which they live and interact.  These men and women recognize that we are all interdependent and that nothing leaders do can be done in isolation.

           

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            The key to leadership is action!  Our discussion of leadership would be meaningless unless we offer specific suggestions for action strategies that can be implemented immediately.  Things you can do that will have a dramatic impact on your life and on the world around you.

            Each of these things is not only possible they are imminently doable.  All that is required is a willing participant who will open his or her heart to the possibilities and will act and act now!

            Our discussion will address strategies for the full spectrum of our lives to include home, the community and the workplace.  This list of strategies is not intended to be exhaustive.  Our purpose is to get you started, to serve as an ignition system.  The list is as long as your imagination and success requires that you utilize your imagination, fully.  

 ACTION STRATEGIES FOR HOME

1.      Exercise your mind, body and self esteem.

Actions:

Implement an exercise program to get your body in shape.  Do it at home or away from home.  Walk, exercise, play tennis or basketball, ride a real or stationary bicycle, join a health club, take aerobic classes, join the mall walkers’ club at your nearest shopping mall.  Do not overdo it!  Start slowly and build up to a daily regimen that works for you, but make a commitment and stick to it.  You will feel better, have more energy, more stamina, and more enthusiasm for life and be less susceptible to depression.

Initiate a reading program.  Set aside at least fifteen to twenty minutes a day, at a time that works well for you, to read something educational or inspirational, beyond the local newspaper.  Feel free to vary the material you read according to your interests and activities and according to your job requirements.  It will expand your mind and your imagination, introduce you to new ideas, broaden your vocabulary, improve your positive outlook, and inspire you to live your life more fully.

Commence a serious regimen for your self esteem.  Listen to motivational tapes.  Smile and talk to yourself in the mirror.  Read motivational books.  Keep a diary of your innermost thoughts and feelings as you strive to build a positive self-concept. 

Become a giver rather than a taker.  Begin to think of yourself as a giving person and start doing things for other people.  Nothing makes us feel better about ourselves than to receive positive feedback from the people in our lives; and nothing generates positive feedback from the people in our lives more than doing things to help those people feel good about themselves.  Share yourself with the people about whom you care!  These things you do for yourself, but not only for yourself.  The best way to enhance your contribution to your family, your job, and community is to take good care of yourself.  You are important to the people in your life.  They care about you and they need you.  Take good care of yourself for their sake as well as for your own sake. 

Go on a sensible diet, not a fad diet; take a vitamin and mineral supplement.  If you are unhappy with your appearance, do something about it.  Get a new hair style; dress differently; try a different style of eyeglasses. 

Begin to look at yourself through different eyes.  When you look at yourself through the eyes of someone who feels good about him or herself you can begin to see the warmth and the friendliness in your face, especially if you are smiling.  Discard the idea that you have to look like a movie star; very few people possess that type of good looks.  Think instead of all the friendly and interesting people you know.  Think about their faces and their appearance.  How do you perceive them?  You enjoy seeing them because they are warm and friendly people and the various characteristics of their appearance are distinguishing.  What draws you to them is not their facial or physical beauty, but their warmth and friendliness, their openness and their genuine concern for you.  Think of yourself as this type of person and very soon you will begin to see that type of person when you smile at yourself in the mirror.

Think positive, life-affirming thoughts as often as possible.  Fill your mind with positive thoughts and purge yourself of as many negative thoughts and feelings as possible.  Count your blessings.  Do not be discouraged when negative thoughts keep cropping up.  They are normal for all human beings.  Think of it as weeding the garden.  The more you pull the weeds the more the flowers flourish, yet the weeds keep coming.  It is a never-ending job.  Once you have cleared the garden a few times, however, the weed growth begins to diminish.  So, too, will it be with your negative feelings and thoughts. 

Change the way you respond to people.  When someone asks how you are doing, how do you respond?  Try something new the next time someone asks.  Say: “Better than I have in a long time!” If they want to hear more you can say: “I have been working to develop a positive attitude and it has given me a whole new outlook on life.”  You don’t have to say any more than this but be sure to smile when you say it.  If people want to know more then don’t be shy.  Share your gift of positive living with them and you will feel even better about yourself.  Do not worry as you would in the past, about being embarrassed.

Pay attention to the other people in your life.  When you meet other people, do not push your ideas on them but reach out to them in a totally different way.  Give them your attention, after all attention is one of the greatest gifts you can give to another human being.  Listen to them and hear what they are saying.  Ask relevant questions that demonstrate that you are listening.  Give them positive feedback and encouragement at every opportunity without preaching and without talking about yourself.  Do not talk about yourself at all unless they ask, specifically.  The more you truly listen to others and give them fully of your attention, you are making them feel like the most important person in the world and they will choose to spend more time with you than they may have ever done in the past.

           

Do a self-assessment exercise.  Make a list the things you like about yourself and that other people like about you and then rejoice in and celebrate the positive things in your life.  Also list those things about you about which you are unhappy.  Pick up to five of the things about which you are unhappy and develop action strategies for change.  If you commit to those action strategies it won’t be long until you will be scratching things off of your list or transferring them to the list of things you like about yourself.  When you eliminate an item from this latter list, replace them with another item. 

 

Handling Difficult People, Part 2

Handling Difficult People, Part 2

    The last article addressed the first half of the equation for dealing successfully with difficult people, which is: acceptance of one's role and having the proper frame of mind.

    Why take the time to discuss your role and frame of mind?  Because more often than not, leaders who have been trained in what to do never get around to actually doing it.  All the procedures and tactics in the world won't help if you are unable to embrace your role and responsibilities.

    Today's article addresses the remaining component of our equation, which is: But, what do I do? There are several approaches that, done well and timely, increases the odds of a desirable outcome.

Things to Do

1) Review Your Purpose

    Your job is to help the organization succeed by helping its people succeed.  Anything that inteferes with the ability of your people to do their job, reduces your organization's ability to satisfy its customers.  People who fail to carry their share of the load or who create unnecessary friction as a result of their attitudes or behavior are a drag on the organization and it is your duty to address the matter quickly and effectively.  The organization and its people are counting on you.  If you fail to do so you are failing in carrying out your leadership responsibilities.

2) Act Promptly

    Address the people/issues as quickly as possible.  This does not mean rush to judgment.  Take the time to gather the facts - this is action!  Strive to understand what, when, where, who, how, and to what effect.  Act on the reality and not on one's assumptions and preconceptions.

3) Handle Issues at the Lowest Possible Level

    Do not pass the issue up the organizational ladder unless absolutely necessary.  Establishing your credibility is an important by-product of this process.  It is amazing how the number of issues diminishes in inverse proportion to the certainty of your response.

4) Make No Apologies

    Your involvement in an issue with an employee is a natural consequence of the unacceptable outcome or behavior - it is not arbitrary intervention.  If there is any sentiment to be expressed it is not remorse or regret on your part rather it is disappointment that your expectations were not met. [Do not worry about what your people will think of you - let them worry about what you think!]

5) Focus on the Behavior or Outcome, Not the Individual

    -Do not assume evil intent.  Bad behavior does not necessarily mean bad people.

    -Act, do not react.  Leave emotions aside.

    -Do not accuse.  Identify behavior and outcomes.

    -Listen.

    -Ask specific questions.

    -Look the person in the eye.

    -Wait for answers.  Your silence is a powerful tool.

    -Make certain that the adverse impacts and consequences of the behavior are understood.

6) Make Promises - not Threats

    Make good on all promises.

7) Clarify Expectations and Forge Agreements

    Insist on commitments to improved behavior and outcomes.  Identify how future performance will be measured and in what time frame.

8) Seize Opportunities To Teach

    Remember that although your immediate objective may be to resolve a specific issue or incident, your long term objective is to help that individual, your team, and the whole organization succeed.  Everything you do must remain true to mission, vision, and values.  Make certain all parties understand how far the repercussions of their actions reach.

9) Follow Disciplinary Procedures

    If the behavior or issue is part of the disciplinary process, make certain disciplinary protocols are observed.

10) Document Thoroughly

11) Incorporate Expectations Into Performance Management

    Resolution of issues must become part of the employee's performance management process.

12) Do Not Play Favorites

    There can be no exemptions or exceptions and everyone must be held to the highest possible standard.  Otherwise, the organization's standards gravitate to the lowest common denominator.

13) Follow-up Relentlessly

    Your commitment to excellence and esteem with which you are held are irrevocably intertwined.  Positive leaders are relentless.

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    My grandmother use to say the the child who is hardest to love is the one that needs it the most.  This same idea applies to the people of your organization.  Problem employees crave attention and typically act out because they have learned that negative attention is the easiest to get and is better than no attention at all.  Take a personal interest in these men and women and pay positive attention.  Convince them by your behavior that they are special.  Take a personal interest in their work output and outcomes.  Affirm what they do well and communicate expectations relentlessly.  [Yes, this repetition is intentional.]

    As soon as you discover that an individual is unwilling to commit to mission, vision, and values - get them out of your organization.