Failure Lesson One: Three Sure-Fire Ways to Lose your Followers

So much is written about how to be an effective leader. I thought it would be interesting to do a “failure” series. Sure, no one sets out to be a poor leader but sadly, it happens too often.

So, in the next few posts, we’ll explore leadership behaviors that are sure to bring failure. Learn from these – DON’T do them and succeed!

In this post, consider these three tactics that turn your followers against you:

#1  Because I said so.
Yes, you are the leader. And yes, your title alone may be enough to make someone perform. But the “because I said so” mentality tells your team they are children. It’s the equivalent of a mother saying “no” to her five-year old’s request to play outside and when the child asks “why”, she responds in that dreaded phrase, “because I said so.”. No argument. No discussion. One of the greatest roads to engagement is sharing the reason(s) for a decision. Help them understand how the dots connect. Even when they don’t agree with the solution, they at least know your reason for it.

 #2 What you see is NOT what you get.
It’s easy (and fashionable) to say your employees are the most important part of your success. And it’s just as easy to describe your leadership approach with phrases like “open door policy” and “I’ll take care of it”. In most cases, your intent is pure. You really do think your employees are important (but then you are asked to make a tough budget cut). And you really do mean to take care of that employee’s request (but before you can get to it, your attention is forced somewhere else and that request is forgotten). It’s hard to be consistent but you can’t afford to say and do two different things.

#3 I have no idea where we are going.
There is no such thing as standing still. Either you are moving forward or backward. For many teams, too often it feels like we’re just spinning our wheels. Activities don’t produce results and the same meetings and issues occur week after week. Want to really frustrate your team? Don’t provide a look into the future. And better yet, don’t focus on any progress moving forward.

So there you have it. Three sure-fire ways to not only frustrate your team, but eventually lose them. Now the real question – are any of these tactics tripping you up? The good news…they don’t have to!

What are your 2011 workplace resolutions?

2010 has come and gone.  December 31st brings the tradition for parties with friends and family to officially ring in the New Year.   And as the first day of a new year begins, countless resolutions are professed to focus on health, success and often some form of discipline in an area of life.

Personal resolutions are a wonderful reminder for the opportunity of second chances.  Fresh. New. A do over. Hope. Whether it is the desire to lose weight and focus on a healthy lifestyle or master a new craft or hobby, the practice of starting anew is healthy.

So, what about the workplace? Can this same practice and opportunity exist as we think about our relationships with co-workers or the team we lead?

I say yes.  Why not take this same approach in the workplace for a focus on fresh, new and perhaps even a do over in your workplace?

Deciding to make a workplace resolution and actually naming it are very different.  And as with our personal goals, it’s much easier to state a resolution than to actually keep it. So, to encourage your success, consider these three tips:

#1 What “one” thing would make a difference to your team?
One job of any leader is to remove the barriers that hinder our team from being able to effectively do their job.  Expectations may be clear and the team members may have the skills needed to be successful but workplace dynamics or policies hinder progress. For the coming year, consider focusing on removing at least one obstacle so your team (you and the organization) can move forward.

#2 Stop pushing “buttons”.
We’re human and let’s face it, everyone has pet peeves or “hot buttons” that drive us crazy. Want to improve relationships with your team? Stop pushing their buttons!  The truth is, everyone has at least one button.  Find out what that is and make an honest effort to be sensitive to those “little things” that drive the team crazy.  Some examples often include: micro-management, surprises, little interaction, no direction, and failed promises, etc. 

#3  Be a dependable team player yourself.
How would your peers describe you? Two categories often emerge: competence (what you know) and character (do what you say you will do).  How do you measure up?  When your name is mentioned, do others have confidence in your ability to get the job done?  If not, the coming year offers a great opportunity to change those perceptions.

Resolutions are much more than a sentence on a piece of paper. The real work begins in trying to accomplish them.  To ensure success, create a strategy that will keep you accountable.  Involve others in your process and keep track of your progress throughout the year.

The reality is most people make lofty resolutions on January 1st and by February 1st they are long forgotten.  Don’t become a statistic.  The time you invest in your career is too valuable.  Here’s to making 2011 count!

We want to hear from you!  What are you focusing on this year?  Please share your best practice with us and others.

Being Real with Your Employees: They Can Handle It

2010 is quickly coming to a close. And as organizations prepare for the coming year, the reality of the economy’s “new normal” workplace is clearly evident.

A “new normal” can mean many different things. For some it means the continuation of employees doing additional job tasks due to staff not being replaced. And for others it could mean another few months of wondering what may happen to jobs.

While the economy is rebounding we can expect a slow recovery into 2011. Unemployment remains at just under 10% and spending will continue to be very cautious.

Because of these conditions, it’s important that leaders remember that your employees are still experiencing the very real emotion of fear and uncertainty.

So what does that mean for you?

It means it is important to find ways to be honest with your employees. That may not mean sharing every detail of the company’s plans, but real and honest answers are needed nonetheless.

Here are three ways to keep honesty in the forefront

#1  Here’s where we are today.
A leader can’t make promises about anyone’s future. But you can share your feelings about the organization’s future and explain that, as of today, you very much need everyone be part of it.

It’s means being able to relate that message of, “Here’s the situation we’re in and here’s what it means to you. Here’s how you fit into our plans and strategies.” That’s what people want to know. What does it mean for them? And do they have a future here?

#2 You can’t replace face time.
Regardless of your industry or company size, your employees want [and need] to see you. You can’t replace getting out and talking to your team. When times are strained, employees begin to make up their version of the truth when they don’t see you. Those behind closed door meetings are typically the origins of the rumor mill.  That one on one interaction creates an opportunity to dispel the rumors and thank employees for their contribution. Time is an essential building block for trust, particularly in difficult times.

#3  Connect the dots
Leaders often forget the power of perspective. Your view of the organization includes budgets, forecasts and stakeholders. Your employee’s perspective is much different. He deals with his daily work schedule and customers x, y and z.

As those decisions are made that impact the bigger picture, don’t forget to translate that information into your employee’s language: How does this decision affect what employees do each day? And what does this mean to our customers? That ability to connect the dots helps employees better understand business decisions.  And that understanding yields trust and engagement to you and the company.

 2011 is days away. Whatever business decisions wait in the future, don’t miss the opportunity to be real with your employees.  You know what? They can handle it.

Are you packing feedback grenades?

In today’s business environment, time is a commodity.  And in the “new normal” of downsized companies and limited resources, many leaders are finding themselves both doing the job as well as managing those who are doing it.

So when the need to provide constructive feedback arises, leaders must find a way to have this important conversation.  And although fueled by the best of intentions, the conversation sometimes doesn’t go as planned.  I am convinced this outcome is often due to a flaw in our feedback approach.

Let me explain.

In this time-crunched workplace, leaders sometimes “save up” important feedback conversations and pile multiple messages (a.k.a. grenades, bullets, arrows…name your weapon) in one dialog.  In our mind, we are being an effective multi-tasker, you know making well use of limited time with our employee.  In fact, we’re taken aback a bit when the meeting doesn’t go as well as we planned.

Has this ever happened to you?  If so, you may not realize it, but there is a possibility you are packing feedback grenades.  Consider these three feedback principles and disarm the unintended perception you are creating for your team.

#1  Remember, your employee is hearing your message for the first time.
The need for constructive feedback typically grows over time. A trend in negative behavior occurs enough (without self improvement) the supervisor feels the need to address it.  He thinks about it for a while then determines the best approach with the employee.  Once the meeting finally occurs, the leader has “lived” with the performance issue for some time.  However, the employee is hearing this message for the first time.  And in many cases, the employee may not have been aware there was even a problem.

As your employee reasons your words, he is also trying to maintain composure, and reconcile your assessment of his work.  And when we say “By the way, while we’re together, here’s one more thing I’d like to talk to you about,” conversation continues, the employee shuts down.  He is still trying to understand the first issue you raised.  And from the employee’s perspective, every time he hears you say, “one more thing”, he hears, “take cover”.

#2  Effectiveness should always win over efficiency.
While the motive may be a good one, delivering multiple feedback messages in an effort to save time will backfire.  Those few moments you give one on one attention to your employee is invaluable. If received well, performance improves and the right results are achieved.  In addition, it’s one less management issue on your plate.  If behavior doesn’t change, you are potentially beginning the recognition of employee performance that could lead to more serious discipline.  Don’t risk the shortcut on time at the risk of future results.

#3  Employees should not want to “take cover” every time you give them feedback.
We know the first commandment of feedback is to provide both positive and constructive messages to your team.  Let’s face it, aside from “good job”, positive feedback is sometimes harder to deliver than the improvement messages.  But remember, every interaction you have with your team sets an expectation about you.  If every conversation with you is always about the job or about what needs to improve, your team begins to dread those moments they see you approaching or those times you ask for a brief chat.  In a time-stretched workplace, you have to make each moment count.  Your employee must know you have their best interest at heart and that when you talk, you ensure conversation about all aspects of their performance.

So, here’s the challenge.  Think about every person you lead and the feedback you have given them in the last seven days.  Did you create casualties of war?  Here’s hoping not.  But if you did, take these three practices to heart and start mending your soldiers.

The Magic of 30 Minutes with a Five Year Old

I would like to introduce to you a creative, out of the box thinker.  No organization has nabbed him yet, but it’s just a matter of time…about 15 years to be exact.

Meet Joey, my 5 year old nephew.

How do I know he has imagination? I spent 30 minutes alone with him in a car on the way to grandma’s house recently.  You see, it was during those 30 or so miles, that I learned all about the policeman who had visited his kindergarten class. And from that, (through the eyes of a little boy), all the things cops do and what happens if you don’t do what they say.

Our next topic was all about his friends.  He has a bunch of friends at school – both girls and boys.  The girls like him, of course, but he doesn’t like them.  And he has some best buddies he likes to play with at recess.

Our car trip occurred around Halloween so that opened the door for ideas on great costumes for everyone in our family. For the record, I was supposed to be a ballerina – complete with a pink tutu.  He was going to be Darth Vader.

Now you have to know this little boy to really appreciate all his ideas and perspectives. And honestly, I had to keep my laughter inside a good bit of our chat. But our ride was the highlight of my weekend.

So of course, it got me to thinking. Is there a leadership lesson here? I had a captive audience for 30 minutes because our trip required it. But in the workplace, don’t the same opportunities exist?

 Here are three takeaways I believe we can learn from time with a five year old:

#1 Everyone craves one on one time with you.
My nephew is one of 5 siblings. Every chance they get for one on one attention is taken – those rare moments when the game or conversation is all about them.

 Your employees are just the same. They want you to know them personally – what makes them tick, what is going on in their world, and most importantly, the chance to interact with you.  As a leader, time with you really is a big deal, whether they act like it or not.

#2 They should talk more than you.
When given the chance, my nephew is quite a talker. And all it usually takes is a question or two. And from there, all I have to do is guide the conversation with more questions. Truth be told, I can find out all kinds of “fun stuff” this way. But in most cases, he just wants me to listen.

Your employees are no different. If you will be intentional and spend even 10 minutes with each employee every week, with no agenda, you will be amazed at how they will open up.  Engagement and connection with others at work (often called community) is critical during this difficult economic climate. Employees who know you care (by how you ask questions and interact) are the employees who tough it out and choose to stay when opportunities to leave the company arise.

#3 What you learn may surprise you.
I got a glimpse into the imagination of my nephew by just listening.  His understanding of the good guys and bad guys amazed me (he’s a fan of cops by the way). I loved hearing his perspective come alive.

In the workplace, what your employees know may also surprise you. In most scenarios, they are closer to your customer and other employees than anyone else. Who better to ask to learn more about ways to improve service or identify new business ideas?

In addition, your employees are also where the perception of reality lives. We (management) often think we are being clear and have communicated often and early enough about business decisions. And sadly, there is more often a disconnect in what employees understand. 

So since our car ride, Halloween has come and gone. I didn’t dress up as a ballerina but Joey was Darth Vader.  And since then, he has spent the weekend with Aunt Kay Kay.  Those 30 minutes I loved in the car turned in to 2 days. My benefit:  just priceless.