What You Provide, Activates And Energizes

The last of The Core Four Actions seems simple but it is a complex leadership activity. As it states, “What you provide, activates and energizes.”  The first verb, “provide”, focuses on what we supply or make available to those who report to us. To understand what leaders make available, we first need to understand the concepts of “activate” and “energize.”

The word “activate” means to “to set up or formally institute (as in a military unit) with the necessary personnel and equipment.” I like to think of this in the context of making sure you have the right people with the right information and the right equipment working on the right problems at the right time.  Think Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman in their book, First, Break All The Rules: What The World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently, Simon & Schuster, 1999, where they explain the importance of matching talent with opportunity.

The word “energize” means “to put forth energy” or “to make energetic, vigorous, or active.”  When we dig deeper into this concept, an important clue to it’s meaning is found in the definition of “vigorous” which means “to make strong.” When something is energized, it is made stronger and often with this increased strength comes an intensity of feeling and commitment.

So when implementing the fourth of the The Core Four Actions, many leaders think about creating SMART goals, realistic timelines, planned short term wins, functional and cohesive teams, empowered people, and continued talent development. Everyone of these is mission critical to short and long term success but they only deal with the surface.  When leading through complexity, there needs to be more.

First, with complexity and change comes confusion. Therefore, successful leaders create clarity about what is our competitive advantage. They recognize that customers choose us for a reason. They delve deeply into this reason and make sure all know it and remember it when days are full and busy.

Second, with complexity and change comes overload. Therefore, they help people prioritize work and clarify who is responsible for what and by when it needs to get done. The combination of these two factors limits confusion and reinforces the focus on factors that make a difference.

Third, with complexity and change comes the potential for arrogance and hysteria. Some people tend to down play the difficulties and think it is no big deal while others go nuts and blow everything out of proportion. Therefore, leaders provide opportunities for in-depth strategic dialogue where they do not shy away from constructive ideological debates and conflict. This level of communication strengthens the organization and helps it to avoid the “hubris born of success”, a term from Jim Collin’s book, How The Mighty Fall and Why Some Companies Never Give In, HarperCollins, 2009.

Finally, with complexity and change comes sloppiness. Working outside their comfort zone, some people do not always get everything done or done well.  Poor leaders let this slip by and do not take notice. Exceptional leaders provide a structure so that all are held accountable for their behaviors and actions. This is very important because it does not let a precedent get set which could end up becoming a cultural norm.

When we as leaders embrace the fourth of The Core Four Actions, namely “what you provide, activates and energizes”, we position the organization for sustainability in the midst of complexity and change. When planning for change, reflect on what you provide different groups of people and the organization as a whole. Does it activate and energize? This week make sure that it does!

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

Searching for the Wrong Answers

After sharing for nearly 30 minutes about all of the different problems in her organization, she asked me a question, “So, what is the one thing I need to do to fix this?”

My answer startled her, “Quite looking for simplistic answers to complex challenges.”

Too many times this winter, I have witnessed leaders searching for a simplistic answer within a complex and non-linear situation. They assume that there is a singular, quick fix which will solve all problems and generate instant success. They expect all consultants to open up their magic bag of tricks and produce an amazing tool, recipe or secret sauce which will transform night into day, generate total enlightenment, or better yet achieve full and sustainable alignment. While I would love to have a cape, a wand and a wizard’s hat to make this magic take place, I have lived a fair bit and swum in the deep end of the pool enough to know that there are not always going to be simple answers to complex problems.

First, recognize that not everything changes in a linear fashion. Sometimes, we have to retrace our steps to make some things change, i.e. going backwards may at times be going forward. For example, we may need to restate why we are doing something as a company and what are the risks of not doing them well before we can move on to how we want to do something. Starting with what to do may not always generate clarity and commitment.

Second, in the beginning, we may need to take multiple actions and then wait to see what happens before moving to the second stage. While I love to plan my work and then work my plan, there are many times right now when unforeseen variables cause us problems over time.

Finally, people are not things. We think, move, and interact. We are dynamic and self-organize at the drop of a hat. We also are, for the most part, self-preservationist who would rather be safe and comfortable than stretched and over-whelmed.

This week, quit looking for simple answers to complex problems. It is time to honor that the world is dynamic and then move forward accordingly.

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

A Time of Grief and Loss

There are days now when I sit down to visit with leaders and discover they are overwhelmed by the magnitude of all that needs to change at work, and by the complexity of making it happen. They struggle with large and small problems. They wish for a new normal but only experience an endless amount of accelerated convergence where one problem is impacting all the others and all the other problems are impacting the one problem. Stuck in a endless loop of complexity and ambiguity, they often freeze up in thought and deed, hoping for a break from this cycle of never ending crises.

At times like this, we have to be careful and thoughtful people.  Some leaders are experiencing strategic blindness, where they do not see their strategy as a whole organization. Others are experiencing contextual blindness, where they can see the whole organization but can not see the environmental context within which the whole organization is working and moving through. What ever the case, we must remember the insights shared by Ron Heifetz and Marty Linsky in their book, Leadership On The Line: Staying Alive through the Dangers of Leading, Harvard Business School Press, 2002 when they wrote that “to lead is to live dangerously because when leadership counts, when you lead people through difficult change, you challenge what they hold dear...” We forget that  people do not resist change, per se.  People resist loss. And you as their leader, may appear dangerous to them when you question their values, beliefs, or habits of a lifetime. You place yourself on the line when you tell people what they need to hear rather than what they want to hear.

We also have to remember that we too may be experiencing this loss. We be moving at such a pace that we begin to question our own values, beliefs and habits. We may be loosing our connection with the reasons why we took the job in the first place. At times, it also may be hard for us to absorb what is happening and to process it in a holistic and thoughtful manner. We as leaders may even have to rethink how we do things and how we define ourselves.

In such moments like these, it is important to activate our support networks inside and outside of work. We need allies and confidents who will listen well and when asked, offer sound advice and counsel.  These are challenging times to be a leader, but with compassion and kindness we can make the right choices.

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

More On Adapting to Complexity

Moving through complexity is not easy for the leader or the follower. both get stretched in the process. Still, there are things leaders can do to help all involved stay engaged, focused and effective.

First, constantly check for understanding rather than awareness amongst the followers. Leading and following through complexity is an iterative process, a process in which repetition of a sequence of steps and key information yields results successively closer to the desired result. The key in the beginning, the middle and the end is to not create information overload, which is a normal situation for leaders and followers. We can avoid this situation when we assist all involved in seeing how what we are doing now will assist them in what they will be doing later on. In essence, we as leaders need to help people connect the dots between today’s decisions and actions, and tomorrow’s results.

Second, we must consistently set up the follower for short term wins. I can not emphasize enough how important this is in the building of confidence, clarity, and competence in the life of the follower.  We also must praise often when the follower gets it right. By reinforcing right action, we also are reinforcing right thinking which again boasts confidence and competence.

In short, always remember that success breeds success, and confidence breeds commitment.

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

Improving Front Line Supervisors Effectiveness - part #1

During past From Vision to Action Executive Roundtables, we have discussed the roles, responsibilities and challenges of senior leadership and middle management. At the Spring 2012 From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable, those gathered also discussed the roles, responsibilities and challenges of being a front line supervisor.

In the beginning, we have to ask a simple but important question: How many of us remember being a front line supervisor? As senior executives, we, at times, forget that front line supervisors are dealing with entry level staff, the people who make the brand real, and often the people with the least experience. We also forget how hard and frustrating this work can be on a day to day basis. We can even forget the struggles to manage the people and the diversity of systems that are constantly changing.

The first step to improving front line supervisors’ effectiveness is to remember what they are actually expected to do each day. Here is a short list:

- keep people safe

- focus people on the work that needs to be done

- build and maintain a team

- teach people what they need to need to know

- reward good outcomes and behaviors

- balance the needs of the company vs. the needs of their direct reports

On top of the above, we also need to remember that many front line supervisors are often supervising their former peers!

Given the current economy and the speed of desired change in many companies through out the country, we have to add to the above list these “new” expectations:

- clarify direction, expectations, and what is non-negotiable

- make the right decisions

- participate on teams over which they have no control and little influence

- do performance management including coaching and employee evaluations

- participate in hiring and orientation

- maintain boundaries with former peers related to HR issues

- handle complaints

All of a sudden the job of a front line supervisor starts to look like the job that many mid-level managers were expected to do 10 to 15 years ago. In this economy, more and more senior leaders need to realize that the expectations of front line supervisor are becoming more complex and difficult than they were many years ago.

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

A Drop in the Ocean

Hurry, hurry, hurry.

Go, go, go.

Do, do do.

Meeting, meeting, and more meetings.

Our lives as leaders are packed to overflowing with expectations, challenges and complexity. Some say it comes with the position. Other’s say it reflects a unique time period in corporate leadership. But most of us just wonder if all of this level of work ever really makes a difference. Right now, we all hope that busy and drained is not the new definition of successful leadership.

When I become discouraged and start to question the work load and effort it takes to manage all that comes across my desk, I remember the following words of Mother Theresa:

“I never look at the masses as my responsibility. I look at the individual. I can love only one person at a time. I can feed only one person at a time. Just one, one, one . . . So you begin -- I begin. I picked up one person, and maybe if I didn’t pick up that one person I wouldn’t have picked up 42,000. The whole work is only a drop in the ocean. but if I didn’t drop in, the ocean would be one drop less. Same thing for you, same thing in your family, same thing in the church where you go. Just begin. . . One, one, one.”

I hope as we enter this holiday season that all of us will focus on “one, one, one.” I believe it is a good place to start and that it will make a difference.

Geery Howe, M.A.Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer inLeadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational ChangeMorning Star Associates319 - 643 - 2257

In The Age Of Uncertainty

We live now in a time period of complexity and uncertainty. Every where non-profits are battling over what little money is available at the state and federal levels. Meanwhile, for-profit companies are wanting to excel and to grow profits, but are extremely reluctant to hire more staff. Furthermore, customers are deeply frustrated with the lack of real customer service, And, of course, your competition is "hungry" for the opportunity to serve your customers where ever and when ever possible.

From my vantage point, some organizations are spending countless hours rearranging the deck chairs on a ship to no where as they attempt to solve these adaptive problems. They do this by continuing to consolidate out-dated systems hoping that this will result in some degree of innovation or efficiency. This is happening because of limited balance sheet growth and a desire to avoid the risks that come with completely pitching and redesigning entire systems to meet the new expectations and options for service delivery.

Next, I continue to witness new technology at the hardware and software levels out-pacing management’s capacity to comprehend their implications, let alone figure out how to integrate these opportunities. In Board rooms and during senior team meetings, it also is common to hear people talk about the continued need to centralize key systems and functions within the company as well as create more efficiency though systems improvement

As to balance sheet management, heaven only knows when the funding streams that government and non-profit agencies count on will be stable. I am certain that they will continue to be in massive flux for quite some time period as witnessed by what is happening related to the raising of the debt ceiling at the federal level. Meanwhile, leaders must continue to figure out how to remain profitable in the midst of these difficulties.

Finally, we must come to peace with the notion that fragmented service delivery will not be tolerated by customers or employees. Developing a unique and meaningful business relationship with customers where they and the staff are engaged is going to require us to finally put to rest top-down, command-and-control leadership. This model of “Father Knows Best” leadership can not handle disruptive and ceaseless innovation that is required nor the transformative power of information technology and communications.

As we move through this time period of complexity and uncertainty, I am reminded of Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Right now too many senior management teams are living an in-box management perspective with little proactive planning. They are reacting to behavioral problems related to operational issues rather than developing a strategic mindset. Clearly, it is time for more people and companies to rediscover or to develop a new vision, i.e. a statement of what they hope to achieve as an organization. These new or renewed visions will give direction and meaning to the journey ahead. They will create inspiration that is necessary for on-going follow through. They will create clarity rather than persistent confusion. In short, it is time for us as leaders to re-inspire, reorient and realign our organizations. It is time to focus forward.

Geery Howe, M.A.Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer inLeadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational ChangeMorning Star Associates319 - 643 - 2257

Chaos, Complexity and Change

There are days as leaders when we are surrounded with complexity. Events happen that do not have any clear pattern. They seem like random occurrences. But, when complexity starts to feel chaotic, I know from experience, lots of strategic dialogues with very smart and talented people, plus a ton of reading that more likely we have encountered a complex adaptive situation.

Richard T. Pascale, Mark Millemann and Linda Gioja, in their superb book,. Surfing The Edge of Chaos: The Laws of Nature and the New Laws of Business, Three Rivers Press, 2000, note that humans tend to regard chaotic situations as those which they can not control. However, based on their study, “Nature is at its innovative best near the edge of chaos.” As they explain, “the edge of chaos is a condition, not a location.” It creates upheaval but not dissolution. It is not the abyss, but instead a sweet spot for productive change. As they point out, “innovations rarely emerge from systems high in order and stability.”

Andy Grove, retired chairman of the board at Intel explains it this way: “First, you must experiment and let chaos reign. That’s important because you’re not likely to successfully stumble on the answer at the first sign of trouble. Rather, you have to let the business units struggle and watch the dissonance grow in the company. As this unfolds, you enter the second phase of change, which I describe as the Valley of Death. Doing away with established practice and established people - tearing apart before you can put together something new - is not fun. Talking prematurely about changes that disrupt people’s lives and are not truly believed can undermine efforts before you really know what you’re doing. But once they are in place, it is essential for leadership to speak clearly about what to do. At this point, you are on the other side of of the Valley of Death and you can describe the future that lies ahead.”

As the aforementioned authors note and my own experience with clients confirms, “the trick is to navigate close to the edge of chaos without falling into it.” But to do this, we have to understand chaos better. The best place to start is to explore chaos theory.

Chaos theory is a field of study in applied mathematics with applications in several disciplines including physics, economics, biology and philosophy. Chaos theory studies the behavior of dynamic systems that are apparently disordered or unpredictable. But chaos theory is really about finding the underlying order in the apparently random elements of a system.

This came clear to me many years ago. When our children were younger and just getting into middle school band, we took them to a performance of the University of Iowa jazz band, concert band and marching band at Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City, Iowa. The place was packed and the jazz bands and concert bands were nice. But we were all focused on the marching band performance given both sons were into drums and drumming.

Finally after the intermission, the drum line of the University of Iowa’s marching band came into the back of the auditorium and set the initial rhythm, the cadence. Then different groups of instruments came streaming in from all different parts of the stage. In the end, the place was filled with sound, rhythm and music. Over the course of their performance, different groups like the trombones or the tubas would spontaneously get up and do little dances of some sort of hand gestures while maintaining the song they were performing. One never knew who was going to do what next. I don’t think they even knew when they were going to do it. It just happened, often appearing randomly and not planned. The music was fantastic and for two young sons who were beginning drummers it was awe inspiring.

As we walked outside the auditorium, the UI marching band showed up again, and started an informal pep rally with the students and parents who had come to see them perform. After listening for a bit, we headed to our car to start the drive home. I turned to my oldest son during the walk and commented that it was a great concert, “total chaos but very delightful.”

He stopped in his tracks, turned to me and said, “It wasn’t total chaos, Dad. Just organized pandaemonium.” I smiled because he was completely right.

With experience and careful discernment, we as leaders can discover that there is order in chaos. Goals, a mission statement, core values and vision can create continuity in the midst of chaos. They can focus all involved in the bigger picture and the end goal. Culture, key people and clarity about expectations and roles can also help. In essence, chaos can be transformed into organized pandaemonium with the right elements in place.

Geery Howe, M.A.Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer inLeadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational ChangeMorning Star Associates319 - 643 - 2257