New Leaders: To Ask or Not to Ask

New leaders regardless of their age of often fall victim to the perception that asking questions is a sign of weakness and incompetence. I suffered from this same affliction early in my career as well.

While I understand where this thinking comes from, I now know that it is not real. In fact, as I transitioned from middle manager to executive I was always impressed with new leaders that were willing to ask questions. Why? Because it showed me that not only did they want to learn, it also demonstrated their willingness to take the risk of “looking bad” in my eyes so they could be more impactful.

That’s the good stuff.

My message however is not targeted at new leaders to somehow find the courage to ask questions. The pressure is on us, as seasoned leaders to create an environment where these new leaders feel comfortable…perhaps are even required…to ask questions.

Too provocative? Of course not.

What specific steps do you take to create a questioning culture with your new leaders?

Thanks for being here.

Jay

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Everything You Can Imagine

What is it about how we see the world? Some see the negatives, live in fear, and move so cautiously they miss any realistic chance of making a difference.

Others move so rapidly that they don't pause for even a moment to consider the impact of their reckless decision-making style.

Still others are so full of confidence that they are sure their approach is the right one. Until it's not.

Finding Balance
As someone who has a...shall we say, healthy ego...finding the sweet spot between confidence and arrogance can be challenging at times. 

Maybe you struggle with that too. Since I've been around the block more times than I care to count, that elusive thing known as experience has suddenly become an ally. 

It guides me...protects me...and spurs me on when I see opportunities that others don't see.

Blind Spots
But where is that balance? How do we find it when we know, whether we would like to admit it or not, that we have blind spots...even with all of our 'experience?'

Having a team that you trust around you makes a big difference. When you trust your team, ideas can be shared, different perspectives can be examined, and the best plan can be executed.

In the absence of that culture, you are destined to fall prey to those blind spots. Right?

How About You
Lead the way and build the culture in your organization that allows for growth, camaraderie and trust. Just imagine what could be possible!

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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It's A Secret

Sometimes strange things happen when people are promoted to leadership. They don't turn into creatures of the night or anything cool like that; but they do seem to suddenly feel empowered to hoard information.

Yes, this sounds absolutely ridiculous.
Yes, this builds zero trust.
Yes, this still happens all the time.

They Won't Understand
Early in my career I learned of an executive who "coached" his leaders to edit information that was shared in hospital-wide leadership team meetings. I wondered why anyone would withhold important information....the answer..."the employees won't fully understand..."

Eventually I inherited that same team...

...and shared every bit of information that was rolled out in those leadership meetings.

The Power and the Glory
Let's peel back the layers here. What exactly happens when leaders hoard information? Is it an ego thing? Perhaps a power play? 

How is it that on one hand we rely on our employees to literally handle our business...and in the same moment, not trust them enough to get an update on what is happening, might be happening, or isn't going to happen?

Are we so much smarter than the rest of the team simply because we have a fancy job title?

How About You
Who are the leaders in your organization that are so stuck on their own greatness that they have completely missed the point of being a leader?

Share everything you can as quickly as you can. 100% of the time. You'll be amazed at the trust, credibility and loyalty you create.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Armed and Dangerous

Holding a leadership position sounds glamorous. The allure of lots of authority, more pay, and the freedom to make important decisions can be hard to resist. 

Oh yes, and power. 

Lots and lots of power.

Be careful friends...power can be the fuel that drives organizations to a whole new level of excellence; or it can pollute the mind of the leader and create havoc. 

Where are the landmines? What should we look out for? What are the risks leaders should be aware of?

I worry about...

- leaders who think power is the work product

- leaders who don't know what they don't know

- leaders who think they are the smartest person on the team

- leaders who think they don't make mistakes

- leaders who move fast in the name of moving fast

- leaders who are paralyzed and can not make a decision

- leaders who believe they should be trusted because of their job title

- leaders who believe their work day will be shorter in their new role

- leaders who are afraid to use social media

- leaders who don't understand that diversity is NOT an item on a to do list
                 
How About You
What would you add to the list?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses. 



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Power, Transparency and Culture

Culture change is an interesting concept. Typically driven by a desire to become a world class organization, the core tenets of a major culture change must include the willingness of senior leaders to be humble, transparent in their decisions, and be unafraid to confront those that are resistant to change.

Humility Is Hard
The interplay between power and humility is a daily struggle for many leaders. Finding a way to appreciate the authority they have, while simultaneously doing everything possible to give that power away (you've heard of delegation, right?) is simply too difficult for some leaders.

The perception that the leader, particularly a newer leader who suddenly has more power than ever before, is making decisions without including others because they know best is dangerous. The leader may be correct in their ideas, however the delivery is so critical to achieve buy-in from those affected that simply making proclamations from on-high engenders no loyalty. After all...most leaders like loyalty among their teams, right? 

Transparency - Can You See It?
One of the easiest ways to achieve culture change is to be open about why decisions are being made. This sounds embarrassingly simple, yet time and time again decisions are made but the rationale for those decisions is kept close to the vest. Why? 

Is there a fear that by explaining why certain things are happening in an organization the leader will open to criticism? Is that so bad? Don't we all perform better when there is healthy dialogue, constructive feedback, and improved decisions emerge?

Confrontation Is For the Real Leaders
The trap I see so many leaders fall into however is exercising their authority in the absence of sharing why decisions are made. Their credibility quickly erodes. Sadly, they don't realize this is even happening because of their painfully obvious fear of confrontation. How in the world can anyone lead and do so from behind closed doors; or worse, through sending their team to deliver messages that should be delivered by them in the first place?

Confrontation is not easy...it is not fun...and it is absolutely required if one is to be an effective leader that builds trust.

Trust.

How About You
Is building trust on your radar screen? If so, you'll need to push yourself outside your comfort zone of power. Otherwise, you'll simply be the hamster on the spinning wheel of power, transparency, and culture change dreams.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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Drawbridge Leadership

"We thought, because we had power, we had wisdom."
- Stephen Vincent Benet

Power

There is a certain energy that should come from serving in a leadership role. For leaders who have broken through to a high level for the first time it can be downright exhilarating. The organization trusts you to make major decisions that will affect anywhere from a handful to potentially thousands of employees.

With that role comes an unbelievable amount of automatic trust, pressure, and responsibility to do the right thing.

Clouded Vision

What happens when that new leader suddenly realizes that he or she may not necessarily appreciate some of the points of view on their leadership team? What if the inner circle isn't filled with a team of agreeable bobble heads that hang on every idea and phrase as if they were the most insightful thoughts ever uttered?

Change happens, that's what.

Consequences

To be fair, I am a big fan of change. I've had to reinvent my own style of leading and getting work done over the last four years because the world around me changed. It was my responsibility to reinvent myself in order to remain current. 

However, there is danger when we raise the drawbridge and surround ourselves with a smaller and smaller team that is saddled with the responsibility of executing our grand ideas. Is it realistic for a team of less than four or five to manage thousands, or even tens of thousands of employees? 

You know the answer. Yet time and again it seems a small group of leaders (who are incredibly isolated from the front line) convince themselves they know what is best for the whole company.

There is danger in arrogance...and an ever smaller inner circle could be considered the epitome of leadership arrogance.

How About You

Where is your leadership visibility? How accessible is the leadership team...really...when so much time is spent behind a mahogany door deciding "what's best" for the institution? Where is the action that backs up speeches that espouse transparency? It's time to lower the drawbridge and lead among our teams, not over them from the balcony.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Make It Safe for Conflict

"Words without action is a colossal failure of leadership."
- Jay Kuhns, 2014 

Finally, a quote for the ages! Or, at least for this blog.

The longer I work in leadership the more I realize that simply saying words, even the most powerful ones, simply lose their impact without follow through. At no time is that more important that discussing the critical role that conflict plays in the world of work.

Trust First
One of the burdens of leadership is to create trust among the members you lead. Meghann Biro's article in Forbes describes key leadership behaviors that help us achieve that trust. We've all learned, some quickly and others not so quickly, that we can not do it all. We must surround ourselves with bright minds that add value to the work we are responsible for producing.

We've also learned that when you have more than one person working on an issue, conflict is sure to arise. That's a good thing! Conflict is what pushes our thinking...expands our point of view...creates energy...and gets even better results than what the original idea might have done.

Unless the leader completely messes it up, and conflict crashes down on the team like an anvil from Road Runner.

You're the Leader for a Reason
Introducing conflict as a positive tool to move ideas forward and achieve breakthrough results may not be a new concept; but it is a new practice. The stigma associated with conflict is often negative and is considered something that "should be dealt with."

Wait a minute! Have we actually programmed our leaders to think that challenging ideas is a bad thing? Obviously crossing the line to rude or inappropriate behavior is not what I'm advocating; however, creating an environment where leaders and employees can challenge each others perspectives is not only healthy, it should be required.

That's right. It should be a requirement that in order to be considered an effective leader you must create a culture that embraces positive conflict as a strategy.

How About You
What is the culture in your workplace? Do your team members, colleagues, and organization embrace conflict strategically? Or, is that simply a behavioral issue that HR needs to take care of?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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Left for Dead

If only the world of work was free from drama, false accusations, unnecessary stress, and energy being spent dealing with people intent on tearing others down in pursuit of their own agenda. When I think about the time I've spent addressing issues that were exclusively intended to be hurtful and were untrue, versus helping others achieve breakthrough performance, it makes me sad.

Maybe that is the role of the human resources practitioner today; maybe it is the result of an accountability-based leadership style; or perhaps it is simply the result of working with other human beings. Whatever the reason, there is an overlooked group in all of the noise that swirls around us, and they deserve to be looked after. 

Rock Solid

We all have team members who we rely on to deliver quality work. They are the ones who are on board with our ideas, strategies, and changes. We look to them to deliver time and time again and they represent the brand better than most. We rely on their track record of success and count on them to keep pushing the organization forward.

These are people we've learned to trust because they've earned it over a period of years.

 

Firestorm

So what happens when that team member is the target of an attack? What happens when someone else decides their own agenda is more important than the truth and they go after that team member?

Do we jump? Do we overreact? Do we blindly believe the accusations without understanding the dynamics involved? 

Of course we don't.

We're professionals, and we invest the time necessary to make sure all sides are heard so we can cut through the personal agendas and get to the truth.

But what about that strong performer who is now stuck in the middle of a mess? Particularly when all indications point to someone else's self-serving agenda? Do you reach out to support that team member; or, are they alone in a very unfamiliar place? 

How About You

When you're working on a difficult situation, do you reach out to support everyone involved? Or, do you shun the one in the middle of the storm? Is that fair? Don't you think those strong members of your team deserve better?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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All the Lies...That You Tell

I've been thinking and writing about communication lately...why it's important, how it should be done, and how it overshadows many other organizational challenges that may initially be perceived as "the real problem." To that end, a big part of communication is accuracy.

That means I shouldn't be worrying about getting played, hearing a version of the story that the other person wants me to hear, or simply being fed the wrong information. (I call that last one lying.)

Intent v Self-Preservation
Before we get too far down the trail let me say that the overwhelming majority of people do not intentionally lie in the workplace. They come to work, put forth a lot of energy doing good work, and then head home after a busy day or night. However, the challenges are more pronounced during periods of rapid change. Old routines are disrupted, expectations are evolving, and the self-confidence that once fueled the work day is not quite so strong.

This leads to a focus on self-preservation, not on effective communication.

Break Through
So how does an organization break through the feeling of a chaotic work life and establish a new sense of stability? The answer is our old friend communication. When the pace transitions from a state of business-as-usual to a perceived state of chaos, it's time to pull the team together and talk.

Maybe it's the need to simply validate that it is a chaotic time, and you and the leadership team are going to have a bit of a bumpy ride for a while.

Perhaps it means that an update is necessary to ensure each person is current on the new initiatives that are underway.

Or maybe it's time to have a strategic planning session to help the leaders understand their roles and expectations going forward.

Whatever you feel is ultimately necessary, no one on the team will fault you for pausing momentarily to bring the team together and get everyone grounded again.

How About You
What steps are you taking to provide calm leadership during a stormy time? Regardless of how you feel about the changes going on, it's imperative that HR step up and help the organization's leaders settle down, so the real work can get done.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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This Is Confidential, Right?

It's a classic challenge faced by human resources practitioners around the world and in every organization. An employee reaches out to express a concern, share an observation, or in more extreme situations report unethical or illegal behavior. But just before they are ready to share their story they ask the question....

"This is confidential, right?"

Culture
One of the key points in this situation is that you should feel good that this conversation is taking place at all. For those human resources professionals that are never faced with this perceived dilemma of confidentiality you should beware.

Is there a problem with the corporate culture that has the employees afraid to step forward? Has the HR team inadvertently given off the impression that coming to them will not make a difference?

"The fact that an upset employee is willing to risk how they are perceived by coming to HR is a major vote of confidence that should not be taken lightly."

HR's Responsibility

Now what? The initial answer is "it depends." A skilled human resources pro will be able to use questions to gain a full understanding of the dynamics in each unique situation. Once the fact pattern is clear, the confidentiality question can be addressed.

How About You
Ultimately the answer is no, it's not confidential. The information has been shared and now you have to do something with it. Your skills and experience will dictate your next steps, and should help drive the necessary changes. How do you answer the confidentiality question?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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It's The How

Over the years I've had the privilege of working with a lot of really smart people. Whether they were in formal or informal leadership roles, practiced clinically or worked in finance, information technology, marketing, and yes human resources, my industry is packed with really bright people. Over those same years I've seen many of those bright people struggle mightily and in some cases fail. Why? They knew "what" to do, they just never mastered the "how."

Soft Skills Can Kill You
I've written in the past about how much I dislike the term soft skills. I've finally realized that the term must have come from those individuals who are terrible at dealing with people effectively, so they tried to downplay that skill set and called it soft. Those are some of the same leaders I've seen who have failed miserably. That's a shame, really. All of that knowledge and brain power wasted because they never figured out how to interact with people.

Old Dogs and New Tricks
A phrase that comes up again and again in my human resources practice has to do with someones personality. "Oh, that's just his personality." Or, "she has one of those personalities that you just have to learn to deal with." I completely disagree with this perspective.

"Making excuses for someones behavior simply because none of the organization's leaders had the backbone to address it does not make it right."

Old behaviors that might have worked when Richard Nixon was President no longer apply to the modern workplace. Sadly, we still see leaders that believe either avoiding a problem or using an iron fist will solve everything.

Nothing could be further from the truth, and it's actually embarrassing for those that still try to use these approaches.

How About You
Have you spent so much time learning "the what" that you've neglected "the how?" Maybe it's time to rethink your delivery, and not worry so much about the accuracy of every little idea. Or, perhaps you know a good leader who has let "the what" get in the way of their work. Today might be a good day to help them out with "the how"...before it's too late.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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Pefectionists Are Suckers

You operate at a different level. Your standards are higher than those around you. You're confident you can make a huge difference in your organization if everyone would make sure the work gets done the right way. Your way. Why can't they make sure that everything is going to be just right before they start implementing changes? Isn't it obvious their ideas aren't perfect?

You my friend are a sucker...and everybody knows it.

What's Wrong With Perfection?
There is really only one thing wrong with perfection: it's completely unattainable. Other than that, have at it. Go for it. Strain, stretch, and push yourself and those around you as hard as you would like. I'm sure you'll...well...no...actually you'll never get there. So why is perfection your only option?

You my friend are still a sucker.

Make Progress, Not Enemies

Over the years I've shifted my view on the quality of work, at least on a macro-scale. For me, making progress each year is much more valuable than making work perfect.

I've already clarified perfection is out of reach, yet so many of my colleagues strive for it despite the casualties that are inherent in that approach (low morale, unwelcome turnover, lost productivity, lack in decisions being made, etc...).

How About You
Perhaps it's time for us all to focus on making work better instead of making work perfect? I love talking about progress. Besides, being a sucker...well...sucks.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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