Monday, December 28, 2015

New Beginnings

This is always a quiet week in the office. Many people take time off between Christmas and New Year’s Day. So the phone rings less and the e-mail stream slows down. Yet, having done this work for nearly thirty years, I have known many leaders who pause during the final days of the new year and reflect. They ask themselves the following questions: 

What has worked and what has not worked? 

Where were we successful and where did we mess up? 

What can we do differently next year in order to improve?  

The best leaders I know understand Ralph Waldo Emerson when he wrote: “The ancestor of every action is a thought." And the best leaders spend a lot of time thinking about those thoughts. If the goal is not just to get things done, but to build a strategic management mindset which is owned and understood by those who work operationally and strategically, then this is the week to take stock of how well that mindset is developing.

Once you haven taken stock, then prepare to roll-out a new core message for the coming new year. When we connect this mindset to recent success and recent lessons learned from failure, then we are build a united whole within the company.

This week, do the heavy, internal lifting and reflect on how well you and your organization is getting better and where it needs more clarity and strength. Once you have done this, keep moving forward.

Enjoy the last days of 2015. I look forward to sharing more with you in 2016!

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Monday, December 21, 2015

With Family & Friends

Recently, I overheard a conversation between some one who has lived their entire life in the midwest and someone who was born here and just returned after many years away. Asked what is was like to be back in Iowa, she replied, “My DNA is happy. I’m home.”

At this time of year with the holiday spirit all around us, my DNA calls out to be close with family and dear friends. It is the feeling of being connected to these loved ones, even if we are separated by many miles, that creates purpose and meaning in my life. It gives me pause to realize how truly blessed we all are in this journey called life.

And one of the true blessings in my life are the fabulous people I get to work with on a regular basis in consultations, trainings, and executive coaching sessions. To be included in such important personal and organizational transformation is humbling and powerful. I feel honored. Thank-you.

This week, I hope you have time to be with family and dear friends. And that when you are all together, you will feel blessed beyond measure and find peace and love in your heart. From my family to your family, I send you joy and hope this holiday week.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Monday, December 14, 2015

Busy Days, Many Blessings

Right now, everyone is in a full out sprint to get things done before the holidays and the new year arrives. With early morning meetings and every evening scheduled with either work or kids’ school related events, the days can become a blur. And, of course, there is baking, holiday family parties, shopping for gifts and the decorating of the house for upcoming family visits. It can just become constant motion with one thing after another.

In the midst of all this busy stuff, I encourage you to stop, pause, and look around. There are so many blessings that can get missed in the rush to get things done.

For example, there is the twinkle of joy and excitement in a child’s eyes when they grasp the beauty of the season, and what it all means.

There is the love of friends and family who value sharing old stories and making new ones.

There is the gratitude of older friends and family who just treasure the time to be together. The gift is living another year to be a part of it all.

There is the recognition in your own heart of the real reason why we celebrate at this time of year. This recognition can put it all back into perspective.

Miracles and blessings abound this time of year. Take the time to notice. Be grateful for all that you have to give and receive. Having this perspective will transform the holiday experience for you and everyone around you.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Monday, December 7, 2015

Dealing With Constant Interruptions - part #2

Interruptions are normal when you are a leader. It comes with the position. People will always be wanting a piece of your time. How you respond to them is your choice. This response will separate the mediocre leaders from the very good ones.

The best leaders I know handle interruptions by doing two simple but challenging things. First, they have a “why” to live for. As Christina Smith, Executive Director of Community Support Advocates, shared many years ago at a From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable: "Our sacrifices need to reflect our priorities." Having a why to live for comes from being very clear about your priorities.

Second, the best leaders I know have a sense of purpose, but understand that with it comes something else. As Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz wrote, "Purpose creates a destination.” These leaders know where they are going. This is not an abstract feeling. This is a clear sense of direction.  With the above clarity about priorities, these leaders do not get distracted from what is most important, personally and professionally.

This week, answer these two questions:

What are my priorities, personally and professionally?

What is the destination I am moving toward?

Your answers will be very helpful during the coming weeks and months.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Monday, November 30, 2015

A Quick Reminder

Friday, December 4, is the registration deadline for the 2016 From Vision to Action Leadership Training.

We will meet for this unique learning opportunity at the Coralville Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Coralville, Iowa on the following dates:

- March 8 - 9- 10, 2016
- May 10 - 11 - 12, 2016
- September 13 - 14 - 15, 2016
- November 2-3, 2016

If you and/or members of your team are interested in more information about the 2016 training, then please click on the following link: http://www.chartyourpath.com/VTA-Leadership-Training.html 


I look forward to your participation in the 2016 From Vision to Action Leadership Training.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Dealing With Constant Interruptions - part #1

During recent executive coaching sessions, I have been asked the following question: How do leaders keep operating successfully when their time is constantly being interrupted by everyone else?

In the past, I have referenced the work of the late Stephen Covey on time management who noted that we need to define our roles and then manage our time. As often commented, “Always put the big rocks in first.”

Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, authors of The Power of Full Engagement tell us to “manage your energy, not your time.” And to make sure you have time to work and time to recover from work.

And I forget the name of the author who told us to never do e-mail first thing in the morning. I would add from experience to also never do it late at night before you go to bed. It will ramp some of us up, or end up distracting us from what is most important, namely the need for sleep.

While all of the above helps to a degree, I think we need to look at the bigger picture. Here are my latest observations about leaders who do well even though they are routinely interrupted:

First, these leaders have a sense of place. They feel like they belong with the company, and can put down roots. This changes the kind of connections they have with people. In short, this sense of place gives them a feeling that they are making a difference. 

Second, this sense of place is directly connected to their sense of community. Those who have a sense of place describe their work place as a “community” where all involved come to unity around a common focus and perspective rather than just a job. 

Third, no matter what their age, these leaders routinely spend time listening to young people talk about the leaders who are making a difference in their lives and their work. This listening helps them keep things in perspective.

With the above as a framework, leaders who handle interruptions well do something most unique. They don’t just focus on being better leaders. Instead, they focus on being better people. As the late Warren Bennis wrote: “Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself. It’s precisely that simple, and it’s also that difficult.” The first step is to make sure you have allies and confidants in your life. Allies are those who work with you and support you. Confidants are those who can listen and provide perspective, insights and fresh thinking. They are rarely the same people.

The second step is to ponder the following quote by Dzigar Kongtrul, namely “Don’t believe everything you think.” As a leader, recognize that not everyone thinks like you. This is a big step in your development as a leader. And furthermore, recognize that you may not be thinking clearly about everything, too. The hardest part about dealing with leadership and time issues is that many leaders forget what they do not know.

This week, check to make sure you have the right number of allies and confidants in your life. Then, visit with them on a routine basis to make sure your thinking is not becoming misaligned with your desired results.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Monday, November 23, 2015

Leaders and Performance Improvement - part #2

In a world where everything is moving at warp speed and feeling like nothing is ever going to slow down enough for us to catch our breath, we, as leaders, are suppose to make continual performance improvements. Some days we can barely keep up with what is happening today, let alone have time to improve what will be happening in the future. Other days, going to the next level seems like a pipe dream. Still, it is possible to achieve performance improvements but one needs to do two things to make this happen.

First, we need to plan for more short term wins. As John Kotter, noted in his book, Leading Change: “A good short-term win has at least three characteristics:

1. It’s visible; large numbers of people can see for themselves whether the result is real or just hype.

2. It’s unambiguous; there can be little argument over the call.

3. It’s clearly related to the change effort.”

Our challenge as leaders is to produce a series of short term wins in order to energize the change helpers, enlighten the pessimists, defuse the cynics, and build momentum for the effort. As Kotter reminds us, this can not happen if we launch too many projects at once and provide the first win too slowly.

Second, we need to balance the planning around these short term wins with routine weekly check-ins with the people who are doing the actual work. The key is to realize that these check-ins are not an interruption to the work of the leader as much as foundational to the work of the leader. They tear down silos and give us as leaders an opportunity to address the contextual issues at the heart of departmental, team or individual challenges.

This week, sit down with your team and check on whether or not people have planned for a series of short term wins. Then, hold them accountable for these wins during your weekly check-ins.  We can improve performance if we choose to thoughtfully plan our work and then work our plans.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Monday, November 16, 2015

Leaders and Performance Improvement - part #1

It was an important lunch meeting with all of the major players sitting around the table. Over an excellent meal, we discussed the tremendous growth that was taking place within the company. While the numbers were spectacular and up-lifting, the challenge was to have it be smart growth, not just any kind of growth. What many leaders forget is that the organizations that grow too quickly often fail because their infrastructure can not support their operations.

For me, performance improvement begins with excellent goal setting. First, there needs to be ownership of the goals, clarity for why these are the goals, and alignment between goals and the strategic nexus. Once there is line of sight from the strategic plan to the 90 day plan, a good manager, who wants to see performance improve, asks the following three questions:

- “If you complete this 90 day plan, will it change the results?”

- “If yes, then I will hold you accountable to the changes.”

- “If not, then we need to change the 90 day plan.”

Next, all involved need to realize that there are many different kind of goals. For example, there are process goals to help improve getting to a destination. There are milestone goals along the pathway to a destination, and even destination goals

This week, ask the above three questions with the people on your team and check to make sure they are clear that operational excellence is based on continuous improvement.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Working At The Speed of People

Right now, many leaders are trying to change their organizations at the speed of software, and it is not working. They assume that more technology and faster technology is the solution to all their problems. They invest a lot of money and time with the hope that this singular act will transform everything. 

What many executives forget is that when moving an organization from one level of performance to a new and better level of performance, they need to change how people think and work, not just what people work with on a daily basis. The focus is on changing behavior and mindset, not simply hardware and software. 

John Kotter shared a very interesting observation about people in his book, The Heart of Change: Real-Life Stories of How People Change Their Organizations, Harvard Business School Press, 2002. As he writes, “People change what they do less because they are given analysis that shifts their thinking than because they are shown a truth that influences their feelings….The flow of see-feel-change is more powerful than that of analysis-think-change.”

Our challenge as leaders is to help people have a sense of urgency and focus. We want them to not be caught in the trap of complacency. As I often point out during consultations, status quo can be dangerous.

Yet, the best leaders are gifted at making change take place. They understand how people move through the world of change and they understand their role in the process. Right now, we need fewer leaders working at the speed of software and more leaders who understand how to work at the speed of people.

To help you and your organization get better at this level of work, once a year I teach the From Vision to Action Leadership Training.Through a challenging, interactive curriculum which blends lectures, selected readings, small and large group discussions, and how to skill-building exercises, participants in this four part leadership training gain critical knowledge and skills which improve their ability to lead people and their organization through strategic and operational level changes.

 For more information on how to register for the 2016 From Vision to Action Leadership Training, please click on the following link: http://www.chartyourpath.com/VTA-Leadership-Training.html 

Technology, be it hardware or software, is important and vital to the success of a company. But people are the back bone that makes the company successful over time. In 2016, we will need more leaders who can work at the speed of people, not just the speed of software.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Monday, November 9, 2015

Leaders and Decision-Making - part #2

Too many times leader struggle with decision-making because they think that once they have made a decision they are done with decision-making. This can not be further from the truth. Making a decision is only part of the journey. The real work is getting someone to execute the decision in a timely and accurate manner.

The best leaders know that in order to improve their decision-making, they need to improve the execution of the decision. Therefore, one of the first steps is making sure that the decision we make does not interrupt operational excellence. That means that we as leaders need to think about impact and precedent when making a decision. It also means being able to mobilize resources to support the decision. But the best leaders recognize that for the execution of a decision to take place, it must integrate with operational excellence.

However, few leaders realize that operational excellence is not just the maintaining of status quo. In reality, excellence is based on an understanding that in order to continually be excellent, then one must continually be excelling. In other words, one must continually improve. Furthermore we, as leaders, must communicate what the concept of excellence means, and then why it is important to do excellent work. Then, over time decision-making will improve. 

This week, spend more time helping others understand the importance of  operational excellence, and then focus on making sure all the right resources are deployed to make it happen.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Monday, November 2, 2015

Leaders and Decision-Making - part #1

I was meeting with a young mid-level manager when he shared his desire to teach problem solving to his key supervisors. Over time, he had realized many of the phone calls he was getting were from front line supervisors about problems they were having. As he explained, “I realized we were really dealing with issues related to decision-making on a daily basis. While I have helped them to learn the difference between technical and adaptive problems, many of the callers have framed up the problem before them as neither technical nor adaptive. For them, this is a crisis. What do I do?”

One of the first things we need to remember is that people, strategy and crises are the three most important areas that leaders make decisions. And when we as leaders make the right decisions, they will yield good outcomes. However, the big question for many leaders right now is this: What are the good outcomes or results we are seeking?

First, a lack of clarity around the desired outcomes or results is part of the current challenges we are facing. When we expect leaders to be competent in driving results through others, we also expect them to be able to articulate the desired results, and why these are the desired results.

Second, we as leaders at times forget that effective decision-making includes a “redo loop.” This typically happens when we discover that we can not, or did not mobilize and align key stakeholders. If this happens, then we need to go back and reset the context, i.e. the why, for change.

Third, we need to remember that there are four stages to decision-making, namely preparation, the actual decision, execution and evaluation. Leaders who improve their decision-making and the decision-making of others do this by improving the preparation stage. Here, the best leaders help all involved focus on the salient factors. Kevin Cashman in his book, Leadership From The Inside Out: Becoming a Leader for Life, Berrett-Koehler, 2008 calls it the CIA Model of decision-making. He suggests we focus on the following three things:

- What can we control?
- What can we influence?
- What must we accept?

By having a framework to prepare to make a decision, we empower all involved to think through the decision rather than simply react to the situation before them This, in essence, gives them a decision architecture for today and in the future.

This week, review with your direct reports the decision architecture for your office or organization. This will be a powerful first step in helping people improve their decision making.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Monday, October 26, 2015

The Role of the Leader - part #3

Along with being a Scout, I believe we as leaders need to get better at being a Translator, namely one who can explain something in a way that is easy to understand. While an Architect of Meaning focuses on building clarity about the strategic nexus and why the work we are doing within an organization is important, the Translator focuses on building clarity about the outside context. 

When acting as a Translator, we need to remember that experiences create beliefs and that beliefs can create experiences. In the end, however, I have learned that beliefs, nine times out of ten, impact actions, personally and collectively. This is so important because a big part of leadership is about driving results through others. This means we as leaders need to use systematic and symbol communication. Sometimes we have to systematically communicate what is happening outside the organization to the inside of the organization, other times we have to do it symbolically.

Yet, in order to be effective in our communication, we must teach whole -> parts -> whole thinking. By teaching others to zoom out before zooming in as a disciplined approach to thinking, communicating or problem solving, we create a framework for people to process all that the leader is translating for them. Over time and when done well, this leadership act of translation will play a critical role in shaping values and standard by which people focus, work and collaborate well with others.

This week make sure you are building clarity about the strategic nexus and  clarity about the external context for change. This combination will be a powerful force multiplier.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Sunday, October 18, 2015

The Role of the Leader - part #2

While many leaders need to be better Architects of Meaning within their organization, I think there are two new roles that they need to embrace at this time, too. The first I will explore this Monday and the other I will explore next Monday.

I believe the leader needs to be a Scout, i.e. one who explores an area or idea to obtain key information or perspectives. During the Spring 2015 From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable, I noted that the higher you go in an organization, the more you need to do the thinking rather than simply doing the doing. Thus the concept of being a Scout is not to focus on the physical act of scouting as much as the cognitive act of scouting, namely guiding a process whereby the company "explores" a strategic idea or concept in order to learn key information about how people are thinking and perceiving what is going on currently, or possibly in the near future. 

One way to do this was written about by Jack B. Soll, Katherine L. Milkman, and John W. Payne in their May 2015 Harvard Business Review article called “Outsmart Your Own Biases.” As they note, there are premortems and postmortems. In a postmortem, or after action report, the goal is to understand the cause of a past failure or success and to discover the lessons learned. “In a premortem, you imagine a future failure and then explain the cause.” This technique, also called prospective hindsight, helps you identify potential problems that ordinary foresight won’t bring to mind.” I have also heard this called scenario based planning

Here are two examples. 

- Let’s assume it 2018, and our midwest banking branch offices have lost money every year since 2015. Why has that happened?

- Let’s assume it is 2018 and our current retention rate in 2015, i.e. 1 out of 3 newly hired people stay past 90 days, has continued. Why has this happened?

As the aforementioned authors note, a premortem tempers optimism, encourages a more realistic assessment of risk, helps prepare back-up plans and exit strategies, and highlight factors that influence success or failure which may increase your ability to control the results.

When I think of the leader as a Scout, I feel it acknowledges what Marshall Goldsmith and Kelly Goldsmith wrote about in their article called “Helping People Achieve Their Goals,” Leader to Leader, No. 391, Winter 2006. As they wrote, “real change requires real effort…. we tend to over-estimate the benefits and under-estimate the effort needed.”

This week spend more time scouting out the future, and conduct more premortems. It is time to be better prepared.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Monday, October 12, 2015

Interesting Things About the Best Leaders

I spend a great deal of time each week visiting with people in leadership positions. I listen to their challenges, explore their concerns and help them figure out their choices. There are moments of intensity and periods of great brilliance. There are times of silent reflection and other points of deep sharing. Some of these visits reflect fifteen to twenty years of working together, and others only have thirty days of history. In the end, all of these visits are based on the common understanding that through dialogue and exploration new, better and more effective solutions can be discovered.

After nearly 30 years of doing this level of work, I have discovered some interesting things about the best leaders. First, they understand that to be a great leader they need to be an excellent follower. Positional power alone does not increase effectiveness.

Second, they recognize that leaders get what they role model and what they tolerate. Therefore, they are constantly working on improving their personal performance as a leader. Making continual progress is cellular with these people.

Third, they realize that the future is not some distant place down the road. The future begins now and is influenced by the choices we make today.

Fourth, they understand that sustainable and successful change happens at the speed of people rather than at the speed of software. Thus, organizational change is the sum of individual change.

Finally, they invest in people with potential to become better people. They agree with Kevin Cashman when he wrote that “in order to become a better leader, you have to become a better person. Therefore, they mentor, coach, teach and invest in people so they can achieve their full potential.

And here is where the 2016 From Vision to Action Leadership Training enters into the life and work of leaders. The best ones I have met are always evaluating who has great potential and whether or not with a touch more training and coaching they could be better positioned for today and for what the future holds.

Now is the time to register yourself and your key people for the 2016 From Vision to Action Leadership Training. Through a challenging, interactive curriculum which blends lectures, selected readings, small and large group discussions, and how to skill-building exercises, participants in this four part leadership training gain critical knowledge and skills which improve their ability to lead people and their organization through current and future challenges.

 For more information on how to register for the 2016 From Vision to Action Leadership Training, please click on the following link: http://www.chartyourpath.com/VTA-Leadership-Training.html 

If you are seeking to become a better leader and you have people you work with who have great depth and potential, then now is the time to invest in the future. I invite you to join me in 2016 as we all continue to learn how to better deal with the current and future problems and challenges of leadership and organizational change.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

The Role of the Leader - part #1

It was a busy meeting and there was a lot to cover in the allotted time. I was meeting with the CEO, and two SVPs. The CEO was constantly working two cell phones and the SVPs were equally distracted. I asked the Core Four Questions to discern what was going on, and why they were having problems with organizational change. Those questions were the following:

1. Who will lead?
2. Where is the vision and who has it? 
3. At what pace do you want to go?
4. What should not be lost during the journey?

My analysis to the CEO close to the end of our time was that they suffered from a weak vision, a lack of a clear strategic direction, and not much sense of what is operational excellence. In particular, they had many operational silos, and not a very clear understanding of the difference between operational leadership and strategic leadership. This led us into an important discussion revolving around the following question: What is it that only a leader can do?

When I teach this subject in the From Vision to Action Leadership Training, I focus on the following elements. First, leaders need to be people who care, believe, and are faithful. This is a disciplined act, not just a random action taken to fill time between important meetings. This is a genuine act and is part of the work of leadership that revolves around continuous relationship building and relationship maintaining. This is not an interruption to work, but, in reality, it is the work. 

Second, leaders need to be architects of meaning. Given they routinely confront paradoxes and wrestle with deep questions about organizational direction, they need to build an understanding of the macro and the micro so all involved know where they fit into the process and the plan. As Simon Sinek wrote in his book, Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action. Portfolio, 2009, it begins with clarity of WHY: “You have to know WHY you do WHAT you do.” Second, it requires the discipline of HOW: “Once you know WHY you do what you do, the question is HOW will you do it? …. HOW we do things manifests in the systems and process within an organization and the culture.” Third, it continues with the consistency of WHAT: “Everything you say and everything you do has to prove what you believe. A WHY is just a belief. That’s all it is. HOWs are the actions you take to realize that belief. And WHATs are the results of those action…”

This week work on being a better architect of meaning, and make sure you and your team are all clear about WHY, HOW, and WHAT. It will make a world of difference as you move forward through these complex times.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Monday, October 5, 2015

Building a Unified Whole - part #2

Whenever I interact with a struggling organization, I will inevitably discover a struggling senior leadership team. The two go hand in hand.  And while it sounds simplistic, the first key to success is to build a cohesive leadership team.

Yet we have to realize that there are three kinds of leadership teams. The first is the Command & Control Leadership Team. This is the traditional, top down structure where all of the connections that matter are the ones between workers and their managers.

The second form is the Command of Teams model. Here, everything is structured for small teams, and all of the small teams operate within a rigid super structure, reporting up to the senior leadership team.

Finally, there is the Team of Teams model. Here, the relationships among teams resembles the closeness among individuals on those teams. It is dynamic and highly interactive. It also is quickly able to deal with technical and adaptive problems.

Yet, whenever we talk about teams, I think back to what Patrick Lencioni, wrote in his book, Silos, Politics and Turf Wars: A Leadership Fable About Destroying The Barriers That Turn Colleagues Into Competitors (Jossey-Bass 2006). As he explains, “I strongly believe that building a cohesive leadership team is the first critical step that an organization must take if it is to have the best chance at success.” However, Lencioni points out the following about problems that occur: “Silos are nothing more than the barriers that exist between departments within an organization, causing people who are supposed to be on the same team to work against one another…. In most situations, silos rise up not because of what executives are doing purposefully but rather because of what they are failing to do: provide themselves and their employees with a compelling context for working together.” 

My challenge to you this Monday morning is twofold:

First, what is the “compelling context’ for working together in your organization at this time period?

Second, how well do you think this is getting cascaded down clearly into the organization?

The answers are worth pursuing if you want to succeed moving forward.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Monday, September 28, 2015

Building a Unified Whole - part #1

During our dinner discussion about the future of the company, the two of us positioned the salt shaker, ketchup bottle, sugar packets, etc. all over the table in order to form a new organizational chart. We agreed that within his industry, and for that matter many others, a successful company is going to have to be nimble, i.e. be able to learn and understand things quickly and easily, be agile, i.e. move quickly and easily when the time is right, and be flexible, i.e. be willing to change and try new things. This was going to be the new normal. 

In the midst of the discussion on how to reorganize the company, he pointed out that one team in particular was engaged in a “treadmill exercise,” namely working hard but going no where. Right now a lot of people are participating in a treadmill exercise. They are also working on treadmill teams and interacting with other treadmill people. And in the end, they are exhausted and frustrated.

Simultaneously a lot of people are struggling with issues related to language and performance. With accountability on the rise, people need better goals, objectives, performance metrics, and sound project management. Furthermore, this depth of clarity should be cascaded down into the organization in a timely and accurate manner. The difficulty is that a large percentage of people working right now do not have a common language. It feels like people are participating in a treadmill exercise within the Tower of Babel.

One solution at this time period is for leaders to teach Whole -> Parts -> Whole thinking. We know that in successful companies all the parts have to work together. Furthermore, it is the experience of all the parts working together that impacts the long term viability of the parts and the whole. In short, working at a company is a cumulative and inter-connected experience for those serving and those served.

As Rosabeth Moss Kanter in her January 2008, Harvard Business Review article called “Transforming Giants” explains: “In the most influential corporations today, a foundation of values and standards provides a well-understood, widely communicated guidance system that ensures effective operations while enabling people to make decisions appropriate to local situations.” This guidance system creates a “globally integrated enterprise” which is based on  standardized processes and widely shared values and standards. The combination has a mutually reinforcing effect and results in better and more consistent decisions.

The first step in teaching Whole -> Parts -> Whole thinking is to learn to “zoom out before zooming in,” referencing the work of Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen from their book, Great By Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck - Why Some Thrive Despite Them All, HarperCollins, 2011. The process of zooming out, then zooming in, begins by remaining hyper-vigilant to the changing conditions, internally and externally to the company, and to respond effectively once a change in noted.

As Collins and Hansen note, “10Xers understand that they cannot reliably and consistently predict future events, so they prepare obsessively - ahead of time, all the time - for what they cannot possibly predict. They assume that a series of bad events can wallop them in quick succession, unexpectedly and at any time…. 10Xers zoom out, then zoom in. They focus on their objectives and sense changes in their environment; they push for perfect execution and adjust to changing conditions. When they sense danger, they immediately zoom out to consider how quickly a threat is approaching and whether it calls for a change in plans. Then they zoom in, refocusing their energies into executing objectives.” 
In short, Whole -> Parts -> Whole thinking is based on rigorous decision making and superb execution.

This week practice zooming out before you zoom in on goals and objectives. It will be the first step in becoming nimble, agile and flexible. 

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Monday, September 21, 2015

The Power of Old School Learning

When I am called to give a presentation or to do a training, people routinely ask me what kinds of technology I will need to do my work. They assure me that they have special computers dedicated to the training room with technicians available round the clock to help, plus fancy projectors, super big screens, etc. I always smile as they also tell me about the fiber optic cables and the dedicated broad band to make the training work.

When I first started teaching high school history, my classroom had a black board in the room. It actually was a sheet of plywood painted black. I used chalk rather than markers and it faded quickly on the wood. Then, I was upgraded to an actual slate board as my chalk board. Clapping erasers after class was a regular part of my day back then.

White boards and flip chart plus colored markers were marvelous inventions when I first started my career as a trainer. Using an overhead projector with a set of well prepared transparencies was down right mind blowing as a teaching tool. I especially loved that the overhead projector could be easily fixed by changing the lightbulb.

Now, when I am called, I tell people that I will need a podium, a chair, and a glass of water. If the group is big, I will need a microphone and maybe a flip chart and markers. Otherwise, I just stand and deliver. 

I am an analog presenter in a digital world. I know it is old school and I am very low tech. But for many years, it has been highly effective for the simple reason that learning moves away from being a spectator sport via power point presentations, and back into an interactive process where the teacher does not just share information, but engages with the student in a learning journey through the Socratic process of asking questions and seeking answers. 

When it comes to handouts, I provide the agenda, some diagrams and a couple of bullet points. But I have learned after nearly 35 years of teaching that the best part of the handouts is the white space. Here, students take notes. They engage their eyes, their hands and their heads in capturing the ideas and concepts that speak to them. This multi-level process of engagement draws them deep into the learning. They are no longer watching as much as interacting with the teacher and the content. They have to focus, think, engage and respond. 

The results of this old school teaching methods are amazing. The insights are deep, and the “aha” moments are many. At times, it is a single sentence, phrase or realization that transforms the student’s understanding. By hearing it, seeing it, and through stories feeling it, the student and the teacher comprehend and learn together at a deeper and more holistic level.

While vintage clothes and vintage items are all the rage amongst the younger generations, old school teaching, such as slowing the class down to read out loud a paragraph in a book and to discuss what it means as a group still has the ability to transcend the current, obsessive compulsive nature among certain groups of students, who are addicted to seeking out the newest and latest, best seller concept. Given all that is happening in society and business, now is the time to rediscover the wisdom that has been passed down from generation to generation. 

I am proud to be an old school teacher. This week, I encourage you to turn off the computer, pick up a book, and remember when learning was more than a spectator sport.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Building Capacity For The Future

One of the biggest challenges for any senior leader is to create more leaders within their organization. With every day being full of meetings and desk work, busy has become the new definition of success. Still, the best leaders know that the execution of an organization’s strategic plan will entirely depend on maintaining and developing people in key leadership positions.

So what is the first step to building capacity?

Realize that an individual’s bandwidth reflects their depth of experience and their learning. If you want to expand their capacity, you need to expand their experience and their learning. With the significant amount of adaptive changes that are present currently within the business world, and with the ones that are coming in the digital and global market places, we need more leaders who are ready, willing and able to solve technical and adaptive problems.

For someone to become a better leader, they need to better tolerate ambiguity, and to a degree chaos. No organization, large or small, can move from one level of performance to a better level of performance without generating moments of confusion, conflict and disorder as they stop doing the old ways of working and embrace a new way of working. Leaders who understand that change is disruptive and difficult, yet normal, are the kind of leaders who can move forward individually and collectively in an effective manner.

So, what is the second step to building capacity?

Sign up your key leaders for the 2016 From Vision to Action Leadership Training. Through a challenging, interactive curriculum which blends lectures, selected readings, small and large group discussions, and how to skill-building exercises, participants in this four part leadership training gain critical knowledge and skills which improve their ability to lead people to generate short and long term success.

For more information on this in-depth training and how to register for the 2016 From Vision to Action Leadership Training, please click on the following link: http://www.chartyourpath.com/VTA-Leadership-Training.html 

The future is coming faster than you think. The more leadership potential you have within your organization the more prepared you will be.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Monday, September 14, 2015

Building Relationship Continuity

As the unemployment rate in the state of Iowa continues to drop and the national one also moves in this direction, I listen to more and more leaders across the country describe that their biggest strategic challenge right now is how to recruit and retain good employees. Many for-profit and non-profit organization are dealing with open positions where they just can not find the right people for the right seats on the bus, referencing an old Jim Collin’s metaphor.

As I participate in these strategic level discussions, I am reminded of the following quote by Roger Herman: "In the future, success will depend on a stable workforce of people who can adapt to rapid change. That's because no matter what else shifts in the market, relationship continuity is increasingly going to be what matters to customers, to suppliers, and to investors.  Even in a fast economy, it's still longevity that counts.” 

What we have to realize this morning is that the future has now arrived and we as leaders need to respond to it in a thoughtful and concerted effort. This problem is not going away and will more likely be compounded as more and more Baby Boomers retire.

Here are three quick recommendations as we all seek to build relationship continuity. First, succession planning is a hot and getting hotter topic during many strategic reviews. This will continue to be an issue, but we also need to realize that in order to build relationship continuity, we need to start focusing more on engagement planning and in particular how to develop better supervisors, managers and leaders who people want to stay and work with through change.

Second, we need to spend more time discussing collaboration within the company and between the company and it suppliers. Collaboration is the sum of a multitude of specific behaviors. Figuring out how to collaborate better will improve the potential for people to stay longer in their jobs and be more effective.

Finally, we need to focus more on the processes and systems that build cultural clarity and operational excellence. These two pieces are intertwined and will make a major difference in recruitment and retention.

This week, pull your team together and begin talking about the importance of relationship continuity. The future has arrived.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

Monday, August 24, 2015

Making Sure They Come Back In The Morning

With the national unemployment rate continuing to drop and many company leaders sharing with me about their challenges around recruitment and retention of staff, I am continually reminded of this quote that I read many years ago: "Our intellectual capital walks out the door every night, so the key is make sure they come back." - Aart de Geus, CEO of Synopsys Inc. 

Right now we need everyone to come back in the morning, ready, willing and able to embrace today’s problems and tomorrow’s challenges. We want them to bring their depth of commitment, clarity and connections so that they can generate effective new solutions.

However, David Dell, research director of The Conference Board's Capabilities Management and Human Resources Strategies area, offers a unique perspective to this situation: "The challenge to employers is to not only make potential employees aware of the company as a good place to work and bring the best applicants successfully through the recruitment and hiring process, but also to retain them and ensure their understanding of the company's goals and commitment to them." 

The moment of commitment that I discussed last week in this blog begins by creating clarity about the company’s strategic nexus, i.e. the sum of the mission, vision and core values plus the company’s goals. Yet, from my experience, there is a subtle but important difference in the best companies I have seen handle this current situation. These companies understand that their strategic nexus has to become cultural, namely it needs to translate into a specific way of working. When the nexus is no longer just ideas but also a distinct set of behaviors of how we work together, solve problems together and deliver services together, then the company becomes a magnet for recruitment and retention.

This week transform your strategic nexus into a culture that permeates the whole company. Then, when people go home at the end of the day, we know they will be back in the morning.

FYI: Due to the complications of my schedule, I am not going to post anything on this blog for the next two Mondays. I will be back on Monday, 9/14/15.  Feel free to read past blog posts in the meantime.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257