Who doesn’t …

Who doesn’t … want to be successful?

Who doesn’t … want others to act accountable?

Who doesn’t … want their team to function as a true team?

I like to share some nuggets from the workshop Holding Others Accountable that I attended, with all credits, of course, to the Accountability Training & Culture Change Company Partners in Leadership:

à Experiences create beliefs, beliefs influence actions, and actions produce results. Two good questions to ask in this context are:

1.    What experiences am I creating with my leadership?

2.    How often do I intervene at the crucial level of beliefs?

à If you want to succeed in holding others accountable, you need clear and agreed upon expectations and a continuous process to check in on the progress as opposed to a one-time check when the deadline has arrived.

à Holding others accountable starts with identifying a key expectation for each person. A key expectation is an expectation where you have decided that NOT delivering is NOT an option. Every key expectation, whether for yourself or others, needs to be framable, obtainable, repeatable, and measurable (similar to the SMART-approach to goals).

à Whatever it is you expect of someone, make sure to have a Why-What-When meeting, with a word of warning not to skip the WHY (see also Simon Sinek’s TED talk on the importance of the ‘why’: http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en)

à Don’t just ask for buy-in from people. Let them rate on a scale from 1 to 10 how aligned they are with whatever key expectation you set. This way you allow for a more nuanced answer than just yes or no and you make it easier to voice concerns, since ‘7’ can be considered a reasonable score while it opens up the conversation about how to improve: “What would it take for you to move from a 7 to a 10?”

à If someone is NOT making the progress you expect and need them to make, have a LIFT Conversation:

Listen for obstacles

Identify obstacles the person can influence

Facilitate the Solve It Question

Test for movement towards the expectation

There was so much more to this workshop, and there is so much more to accountability. Another great resource on the topic is the book Question Behind the Question by John G. Miller.

I ask you again, Who Doesn’t …? Let me ask you another question: What is keeping you from holding yourself and from holding others accountable?

Wanna get it right? #Leadership

There are many things that strong leaders believe, think and do. Below you find some that I found to be true in my 28 year consulting, coaching, and workshop practice in Europe and the U.S. With gratitude for the many hundreds of clients who taught me what strong leadership looks like.

1. Strong leaders don’t feel the need to have all the answers, to know it all, to be the smartest in the room. They do not feel the need to be the super hero. They DO collect the smartest people for their teams, they DO ask all the right (and often less obvious) questions and they DO honor people who are smart and choose smart, and they are great at connecting dots where others can not. Strong leaders know they can’t do it alone.

2. Strong leaders are excellent active listeners, focusing in the here-and-now on what is being said and what is being communicated in other ways than with words. And if they DO talk, they are brief, clear, consistent, truthful. If they DO talk they make abundant use of stories to share their vision and experiences and to engage their people and connect with their hearts.

3. Strong leaders act with integrity and demonstrate that it is safe to share not just success stories but also misjudgments, failure, and doubts. They keep important conversations in the room. Because they can be trusted and are perceived to be honest and fair, they make water cooler conversations redundant.

4. Strong leaders welcome dissidents, devils advocates, “against the grain” thinkers, and people who challenge them otherwise, because they know they need this kind of thinking and these types of conversations to prevent self-deception, confirmation bias, tunnel vision, and all that other horrible stuff that prevents new ideas, unusual solutions, and fresh perspectives to emerge. They know they/their ideas don’t need to be liked all the time as long as they're respected and seen as acting with integrity.

5. Strong leaders know how to combine confidence and presence with humility and gratitude, which for many is a difficult balancing act. The Harvard Business Review Daily Stat on March 6, 2015 reported the following: “Highly regarded CEOs are nearly 6 times more likely than less highly regarded chief executives to be described as “humble” (34% versus 6%), according to a survey of more than 1,750 executives in 19 markets worldwide. Yet only about a quarter of the survey’s respondents say the description fits their own CEOs. The research, sponsored by public relations firm Weber Shandwick, also shows that nearly half of a company’s corporate reputation and market value is attributable to its CEO’s reputation.” Leslie Gaines-Ross writes on HBR.org

In what areas can you strengthen your leadership?

Deadly Mistakes: Lack of Candor & Accountability in the Workplace

Upcoming Programs & Events May 12th 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Deadly Mistakes: Lack of candor and accountability in the workplace Most of us worry about being liked. We shy away from confrontation. We misjudge the possible harmful effects of candor so we revert to sugar-coating, postponing, or withholding the message altogether. When communication and relationships turn difficult, directness and honesty too often get shelved. If you recognize this, you belong to an overwhelming majority. If you wish to learn how to sustain frank, open discussions during difficult conversations and in strained relationships, join this practical and engaging presentation. You will leave knowing: - Essential ingredients for accountability in the workplace. - The role of thinking distortions and misguided beliefs in candor. - A ten-step framework for increasing candor in conversations. - What to do when things go wrong. May 19th 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM Technology tools for your business - Presented by SUCCESS Join us for: A chance to learn the benefits of Microsoft Office 365, including Exchange, Lync, OneDrive and SharePoint A live demonstration of Microsoft Lync communication, including video conferencing A live demonstration of SharePoint and OneDrive for collaboration Register here. Wednesdays 9 AM - 10 AM May 13 - RSVP   Did you miss a presentation? Check out our videos   This email was sent to: caromoors@hotmail.com Add LGeorge@JJHill.org to your address book to ensure delivery. Did you receive this from a friend?  | Privacy Policy | Sent by: James J. Hill Center 80 West 4th Street, Saint Paul, MN 55102

Hype or Smart? Walking Meetings

Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg popularized walking meetings as a way to strengthen work relationships while improving health. If you conduct a walking meeting, focus on the topic improves and the usual distractions go down. Moving increases blood flow to the brain and it stimulates creativity and integrative thinking. And of course we all know walking is better for your back and it helps manage your weight.

For those who are still reluctant, thinking this is more a transient hype than anything else, there is research to back this all up. On April 23, 2014 the Stanford News reported on a study that found that walking boosts creative inspiration. The research included four experiments with 176 college students and other adults. They had to complete tasks commonly used by researchers to gauge creative thinking. Participants were placed in different conditions: walking indoors on a treadmill or sitting indoors – both facing a blank wall – and walking outdoors or sitting outdoors while being pushed in a wheelchair – both along a pre-determined path on the Stanford campus. Researchers put seated participants in a wheelchair outside to present the same kind of visual movement as walking. Three of the experiments relied on a "divergent thinking" creativity test. The overwhelming majority of the participants in these three experiments were more creative while walking than sitting, the study found. In one of the experiments, participants were tested indoors – first while sitting, then while walking on a treadmill. The creative output increased by an average of 60 percent when the person was walking, according to the study. You find more information on: http://news.stanford.edu/news/2014/april/walking-vs-sitting-042414.html

Emily Peck, writing in the Huffington Post on April 9, 2015, adds: “Walking helps break down formalities, relaxes inhibitions and fosters camaraderie between colleagues - and less eye contact can fuel more personal conversation. Meeting on the go also minimizes distractions - no phones, email, texts, colleagues interrupting you.”

As reported on CNN on March 20, 2013 (http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/20/business/walking-meetings/) “Jack Groppel, vice president of consulting group Wellness & Prevention, owned by Johnson & Johnson, has advocated a program that calls for standing up and walking around in the workplace for one or two minutes about every half hour, a process that he says would increase productivity. Groppel says when workers start moving, it triggers a slight raise in heart rate for the first minute or two, meaning more oxygen is getting to the brain. "What we did find in the studies that we did, after 90 days of doing this, people felt increased amounts of energy, they felt increased focus, they felt improved engagement," he says.”

In my coaching practice I have for many years suggested walking meetings and increasingly used them myself for one-on-one conversations, especially when the topic is delicate or tensions are expected to be high. Physical activity releases tension through your body’s activity and the neutral meeting grounds are generally an easier environment to discuss matters than either person’s office or HR’s office for that matter.

One website for more tips on walking meetings: http://www.feetfirst.org/walk-and-maps/walking-meetings

And an interesting TED talk on walking meetings by Nilofer Merchant, who calls sitting the smoking or our generation: http://www.ted.com/talks/nilofer_merchant_got_a_meeting_take_a_walk?language=en

I urge you: Get up and walk. Benefit from Walk & Talk Meetings.

Saying it as it is

Though I generally prefer to think and talk in affirmative language rather than the language of don’ts, I believe this post to be a useful exception. When confronted with difficult interpersonal situations that involve critique, confrontation or other ingredients that likely create tensions, we often revert to response patterns such as avoidance, denial and sugarcoating. That’s why this post focuses on what to avoid and why.

1. Don’t sugar coat or downplay what happened - this leaves room for more positive interpretations and conclusions than are warranted. It’s misleading and once the person discovers what you really meant, trust is harmed. It results in confusion about where you stand and what you expect. It is dishonest, ineffective, and interferes with timely performance management.

2. Even worse, don’t ignore and avoid the situation all together or underestimate the severity - this would make you an accomplice to the situation, an enabler, since you allow it to happen or at least continue. In the absence of accountability, you open the door for others to behave similarly thinking that it will have no consequences. At the same time, ignoring and underestimating a situation can be seen as cowardly and as a sign of incompetence.  

3. Don't resort to corporate speak - this creates a distance between you and others, and it's generally perceived as inauthentic. It portrays you as disconnected, as if operating from an ivory tower. Corporate speak can be interpreted as an attempt to abdicate responsibility with an air of blaming and hiding. 

4. Don't solely focus on emotions - this can feed into escalations and direct attention away from critical thinking and problem solving. If you focus on emotions too strongly you may needlessly emphasize personal sensitivities and interpersonal dislikes. This hampers logic and crisis management. Emotions absolutely need to be acknowledged and taken into account, just be careful when to attend to them and in what manner. Know when to focus on facts, when on emotions. 

5. Don't use overly positive phrases such as "We are really lucky to be handed this learning opportunity" or vague phrases such as "A mistake was made" - this too creates confusion and communicates a lack of accountability. Such phrases are generally not credible thereby eroding trust and engagement. Instead, be clear: "We delivered this project passed the deadline because we misjudged the length it would take to accomplish step 3 and 4. We will now take the following action ..."

Say it as it is, pretty or not. Do it respectfully and expect the person to find it difficult to deal with such candor. For more information on this topic:

http://caromoors.blogspot.com/2014/01/candor.html

http://caromoors.blogspot.com/2013/11/straight-talk-from-stress-and-struggle.html

http://caromoors.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-step-by-step-framework-for-candid.html

Your complimentary online coaching session

Regardless of your industry, company, position, and present level of success, I’m sure there are problems on your plate for which coaching would be beneficial. The value of coaching is for a great deal in the interaction. For interaction with a skilled, astute coach creates deeper levels of awareness, stronger critical thinking skills, strengthened resilience, and improved accountability. This post is far from interactive, however, the following 21 questions can get you started when dealing with people, project, or other challenges. Answer them all, candidly and on paper, then revisit the questions and your responses in a few hours or, if it can wait a little longer, the next day:

1. Why is the problem a problem for everyone involved?

2. Which are your assumptions about the problem?

3. Which are your assumptions about every individual involved?

4. Do you recognize any untested and biased assumptions on your end?

5. What is the influence of power dynamics between you and others involved?

6. What are you trying to accomplish and whereto – for what bigger reason?

7. What’s important about that to you and others aware of this?

8. How are your sensitivities and ‘interpersonal allergies’ at play here?

9. What might someone who knows you well observe in this situation?

10. How candid have you been with yourself and with others?

11. How may stakeholders think totally different from you and why?

12. What specifically is it that the involved people are working to accomplish?

13. What have you tried so far and with what results?

14. What’s got you stuck, do you see connections with previous situations?

15. What is it that you may be fearing? And others?

16. What else would you do if you didn’t feel restricted by anything/anyone?

17. What would you need and from whom to actually do that?

18. How can you significantly change the conversation with those involved?

19. What are the next specific steps you will take to move things forward?

20. How will you know that you are progressing toward your goal?

21. How will you hold yourself accountable for progress and results?

Seriously answering every single question on paper, rather than zooming through them with an “I’ve gone through this before” or “I already know the answer to this question” – attitude, will help you think, choose, and accomplish differently.