Three Leadership Styles

Let me suggest that while there are three main leadership styles: Control, Optimization, and Possibility, only the latter, Possibility, enables the true upside of effective leadership.

Leadership by Control is the classic top-down model. The idea -- as represented by a boss' Circle of Impact with arrows pointing inward -- is that only a small part of what a boss is responsible for can really be controlled. But, results in that smaller area tends to be excellent. Rarely game-changing in nature, though.

Leadership by Optimization is the process of working to the edges -- to insure that as much is "done right" as possible -- but no farther. Eliminating waste, streamlining processes, etc. most certainly have their value, but Leadership by Optimization is more of a managerial style than a leadership approach.

Leadership by Possibility is about expanding one's Circle of Impact beyond its current limits. It's about empowering your staff, engaging your peers, and challenging stakeholders to think bigger, act more decisively, and achieve more. While sometimes messy, it's the leadership style with the greatest upside.

So, as a percentage of time, how much of the time would you say you spend in Control mode? Optimization mode? Possibility mode? What would help you spend even more time as a leader of Possibility?

Platitudes & Attitudes

Some observations from Texas billionaire, T. Boone Pickens ...

MAKE THE CALL.

"Sometimes the window of opportunity is open only briefly... be willing to make decisions. That's the most important quality in a good leader. Don't fall victim to what I call the ready-aim-aim-aim-aim-aim syndrome. You must be willing to fire."

ANALYZE WELL.

"Information is everything. You can never have enough, and as you get older you find that keeping current keeps you in the game."

LEARN FROM MISTAKES.

"It's all right to get your fingers crushed in the door, but don't let the same door crush them twice."

KEEP PRIORITIES STRAIGHT.

"Far too many executives have become more concerned with the four P's -- Pay, Perks, Power, and Prestige -- rather than making profits for shareholders."

HIRE GOOD PEOPLE.

"What I am always looking for is people who can do a job better than I can."

BALANCE IT OUT.

"Work eight hours and sleep eight hours, and make sure they are not the same eight hours."

FORGET ABOUT AGE.

"Give young people a chance."

HAVE A PLAN.

"A fool with a plan can outsmart a genius with no plan."

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Source: Success Magazine (November 2008)

Successful Change ... or Not!

Change is easy. Successful? Less so. Why? Here are two models that discuss this very thing:

(1) Successful Transformation Model. (Source: Daniel Ferdinand, Principle, Momentum HR Services.)(2) Understanding What Derails Change in the Workplace. (Source: unknown, but a big fave here at GGCI.)Pay particular attention the the far-right column on each chart - if you recognize the sentiment, move left to identify what's likely missing from (and undermining) your change initiative.

Correct as necessary.

8-Year Anniversary for GottaGettaCoach!

July 4, 2008 - GottaGettaCoach! is celebrating its 8th anniversary today - thank you to all for your continued support!

And a special thank you to everyone who's ever worked with me, or referred me as an Executive Coach, Management Coach, Leadership Coach, Personal Life Coach, Career Coach, Small Business Coach, or New Coach Mentor, to someone else.

Word-of-mouth recommendations is a truly powerful way for a small business to flourish. (As is doing a blog!)

Creatively Sparking Creativity

Just finished reading a truly fascinating interview with Mario Almondo, director of human resources and organization at Ferrari in the April 2006 issue of the Harvard Business Review. (Yeah, 2006; I'm a little behind on my reading, okay?!)

In it he spoke about their Formula Uomo program. (Uomo=Human Being).

"You can't methodically teach creativity," says Almondo, "But you can provide an environment that nurtures it."

Two programs of particular note:

1. English@breakfast - Italian-speaking employees can start their workday by practicing their English. They can also practice at lunch (English@lunch) or in the afternoon (English@tea) or in German (Deutsche Party), if they prefer. "Employees really enjoy these sessions, and, obviously, having multilingual employees is good for Ferrari."
2. The Creativity Club - In this program, employees can actually meet, talk with, and ask questions of, different types of artists. "We've had painters, sculptors, a jazz musician, a writer, a radio DJ, a photographer, a chef, an actor, an orchestra conductor, and others," Almondo reports. "The goal is for our employees to learn about how artists generate ideas and solutions."

Interestingly, these programs are open to all employees, not just some, and not just to those at certain organizational levels. So there's all sorts of opportunities for senior executives and front-line personnel to interrelate ... as people ... rather than as a function of role, title, project, or assignment.

Too, "by holding the club at the firm, rather than, say, encouraging employees to take art courses elsewhere, we're hoping people will make links between the inspiration they get and their professional activities here."

Imagine how this builds comfort, connectedness, information- and idea-sharing, collegiality, engagement - and creativity - throughout the rest of the year ... in hallways, elevators, meetings, break rooms, coffee shops, and such ... up, down, and across, the entire organization.

That's assolutamente fantastico, sì?!

Office conditions leave room for improvement

This in from the L.A. Times: Filthy bathroom facilities and extreme office temperatures are most common gripes of unhappy workers:

"Forget salaries, expense accounts or keys to the executive washroom. Employee loyalty is won or lost over the cleanliness of the bathrooms and the amount of sticky goo on the carpet."

Citing a recently-conducted survey of 500 workers by Blumberg Capital Partners, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer Molly Selvin reports that "More than three quarters of those polled said the overall condition of their offices affected how they viewed their employer and whether they were likely to stay in their jobs."

In a January 23, 2006 blog posting titled, How DO You Motivate Employees? I talked about Frederick Herzberg's notion of hygiene factors* - things related to the job context, or environment, that don't necessarily motivate people by their presence, but almost always demotivate by their absence. Some of the hygiene factors cited included:

• company policy and administration
• quality of supervision
• relationship with supervisor
• work conditions
• salary
• relationship with peers
• relationship with subordinates
• status
• security

Like chlorine in a swimming pool, the presence of hygiene factors don't necessarily make anyone feel more healthy (or even more motivated), but their absence will likely make people feel less healthy, and, as this article concludes, surely less motivated.

And now we can add the bathroom cleanliness to the list of literal - and figurative - workplace hygiene factors.

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*In contrast to hygiene factors, Herzberg identified what he called, true motivators - things that really do motivate employees - that are typically related to one's job content, like achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, opportunity for advancement, and growth.)

FAQ Sheets - Frequently Asked Questions

New Year, new plans. New organizational changes? Likely so. But while org changes may make intuitive sense to those directly involved with the redesigning process, those usually most affected by the changes - lower level managers and front-line operatives - are left to figure things out on their own. (And please, let's not kid ourselves; those one-shot, let-me-explain-what-you-need-to-know meetings only scratch the surface of what really needs to be said ... and heard.)

But time is tight. And those meetings - especially when they devolve into extended Q&A sessions comprised of dozens of off-topic, if not completely irrelevant, queries from people who don't seem to know enough to sit down and give someone else a turn - can be downright back-braking from a morale standpoint.

Have you ever tried releasing an FAQ Sheet in support of the changes?

1. What is an FAQ Sheet?
   An FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Sheet is a compilation of the not-so-obvious, but certainly reasonable, questions people are likely to have about the changes ... and their answers.
   
2. What's helpful about an FAQ Sheet?
   It gives real answers to real questions, all right there for everyone to see.
   
3. How does one create an FAQ Sheet?
   You, or those closest to the change initiative, do.
   
4. What if the questions I/we come up with are difficult to answer?
   As you brainstorm on questions for the FAQ Sheet, expect some to be quite difficult and challenging to answer. (If they aren't, then you're likely not thinking deeply enough.) Please don't ignore these 'tough' ones - they're actually the most important in the bunch. They're the ones that matter most with respect to acceptance of the changes. And they're the ones best-suited for an FAQ Sheet in that you can answer them thoughtfully instead of just trying to wing it right there on the spot during your big meeting.
   
5. How else is an FAQ Sheet helpful?
   An FAQ Sheet can also help frame how you want people to think - and talk - about the changes...especially when you're not there to tell them yourselves. By providing everyone with the same explanation as to the key reasons for the changes, and the same explanation as to the overriding rationale that makes these particular changes the best of all possible solutions, the FAQ Sheet is a valuable level-setting, and misinformation-fighting, tool.
   
6. What if no one reads the FAQ Sheet?
   Simply point people back to if their real-time questions are answered by it. (Note: Numbering FAQ Sheet questions makes it much easier to point them back to a particular questions.)
   
7. How do I tell if our FAQ Sheet was done well?
   You'll be able to tell simply by listening to the 'sounds' that people make when reading it - hmmm's and oh's and people saying things like 'that actually makes sense,' and 'yes, that's what I want to know' - are all excellent indications that you've done a good job with it.
   
8. Does the FAQ Sheet have any lasting value?
   Absolutely. By having a written record of the rationale for change, it becomes an excellent source document to make sure everyone stays focused and true to purpose. If written properly, it can also serve as an arbiter to differences of opinion and which 'fork in the road' to take, as the changes unfold.

So the next time you have an important change to tell people about, get in front of the issue by creating an FAQ Sheet for it. Worst case, it'll give you some great answers for your big meeting. More likely, though, the questions won't need to be asked so you can use your time together much more productively.

Any questions?!

Business in General - category archives

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