A Time For In-depth Reflection

During the last 30 days, I’ve had a couple of time periods in the office when I have chosen to push back from the piles of work on my desk, and to stare out the window. Looking east, I can see that the warm winds from Kansas are turning the grass to green. I can see the daffodils and tulips pushing up through the fresh layers of mulch I spread on the flower beds a couple of weeks ago. I can see the rhubarb breaking ground and the maple trees flowering. Spring has returned to the midwest, and the land is reawakening to new shapes, sounds, and colors of the season.

I have chosen to take these moments of quiet reflection for a specific reason. With the massive amount of complexity that is taking place in the nation at this time period, I have met with numerous leaders during the last 60 days who are overwhelmed, deeply concerned, and very troubled by the current course of human events. They want to continue to make a difference as a leader and they are equally wanting their organization to make a difference in the lives of those they serve. But, between the pace of change, a rampant case of decision fatigue in the midst of uncertainty, and an overwhelming desire to work on the organization and not to get sucked into the weeds of daily crises and daily reactions to crises, they struggle to get everything done and they struggle to maintain perspective. Some have asked me privately during executive coaching sessions, “What can I do to regain a sense of balance, clarity, and focus?”

Now the typical consultant answer would be to focus on the creation of strategy, talent development, and the maintenance of a healthy senior leadership team. And, in most cases, this would make a major difference in getting the organization back on track. However, I am not always one who gives the typical answers or asks the typical questions. Recently, I have shared the following.

First, remember the famous Tolkien quote: “Those who wander may not be lost.” So, when was the last time you stepped away from your desk and gave yourself permission to wander? 

The response has always been a quizzical look to this idea, and then the asking of another question, “What do you mean?”

As I explain, back in the late 80’s and early 90’s, people were encouraged to do MBWA, i.e. management by wandering around. I’ve been around long enough that I can remember this ancient history first introduced by Tom Peters.  It was a hot trend at the time.

In simple terms, we were encouraged to step away from our offices as managers and leaders, and to get out into our organizations. We were encouraged to meet our staff, to catch them doing things right, and to build relationships with them. 

Furthermore, we were suppose to have open doors and to walk through them to where the real action was taking place, namely the interaction between the person served and the person serving. We were to get our feet on the ground and to see if the mission was being lived daily, or to discover if it was just another document hung on the walls and laminated in plastic.

Now I know that time is a major issue these days for most people in management and leadership positions. People are feeling pressed to get everything done. And e-mail surely has not made things easier. The promise of the 30 hour work week has not materialized. Instead, we are swamped by being copied on every little thing, and overwhelmed by massive amounts of trivia.

But this morning, I think we need to step away from the computers and to quit trying to lead and live at the speed of software. Instead, we need to embrace the perspective that Michelangelo had, namely that inside every block of stone or marble dwells a beautiful statue. 

At times like these, our jobs as leaders is to step away and go to where the mission is real.

We need to wander again with a purpose.

We need to contemplate the un-carved block. 

We need to seek the beautiful statue within the stone.

We need to witness the organization’s core purpose in action.  

We need to sit and stare out the window, reflecting on all that is happening.

We need to rediscover silence.

We need to embrace possibility in the midst of change.

We need to find our hearts, our passion, and our original love for the work we do.

And then we need to give ourselves permission to rekindle this fire.

We need to rediscover burning brightly rather than just burning out.

We need to return to carving the statue rather than simply sweeping up the dust and shavings.

We need to become purpose driven rather than simply driven.

We need to become better people committed to serving other people.

We need to find the meaning within the work and not just find more work.

This week, I encourage all of us to carve out some uninterrupted time for in-depth reflection. It is time to rekindle hope, perspective and new possibilities.

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

Leading with Executive Presence - part #2

One of the hardest lessons to learn about when leading with executive presence is that every day there are things that will make you as a leader upset, irritated or feeling off balance. Big or small, these triggers are not always controllable or within your circle of influence. They just are. And you as a leader have to deal with them whether you like it or not. 

First, in situations of this nature, recognize that you are more visible with every level you move up in the organization. All of your actions are constantly sending a message. Therefore, be more present when you are with people and quit multi-tasking. Instead, spend more time shaping the values and standards.

Second, there is a difference between creating connections and relationships vs. connectivity. The later is about e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, etc. It helps, but it is not a relationship. The former takes time, energy and commitment.

Third, as a leader, you need to be doing more of the thinking, not always more of the doing. And when you are thinking, always bring the problem you are struggling with back to the mission and operating principles of your organization. Next, support those who role model the mission. And as a leader, always stay focused on the mission.

Fourth, when leading with executive presence, you will need to learn to deal with disjointed incrementalism, i.e. knowing where you want to go, but not always how to get there. In situations of this nature, convey strategic intent and make the objectives clear, but avoid micromanaging those who will execute on them

This week, remember that we all have difficult days in the world of leadership. You can choose how you deal with them, but always remember to stay focused on the mission.

FYI: I am taking off the next two Mondays for some personal thinking and reflection time. I have to practice what I write about here in this blog. I will be back with more Monday Thoughts on 6/29/15. 

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

Eating Our Young and Kicking Out Our Old

It is happening again. The last time I saw this corporate behavior was in the mid-90’s. It did not work then and it still does not work now. Specifically, we need to stop eating our young employees, and prematurely kicking out our older ones.

Over and over, I hear young employees burning out from the massive amount of work they are expected to get done each day.  Many report to me that 60-80 hours a week at the office is becoming the new normal. These are not slackers or problem people, but instead people in up and coming leadership positions with commitment and capacity who have been presented with unrealistic work loads and responsibilities. They are expected to do all things and be all things to all people plus get their own jobs done at the same time.

The result is massive burnout and frustration amongst young and committed professionals right now. These are the people who we want to become future leaders in the company. They believe in what they are doing but not at the pace of change some are experiencing. These young people are struggling and ending up cynical, and exhausted. 

Meanwhile, some companies are also pushing out their older workers as too slow and not deeply committed to the future. These long term and faithful people are being encouraged to leave early without even a thank-you. They are being dumped off at the curb with the hope of on-boarding more young people who will blindly work until they are exhausted.

Over time, the outcome for this pathway to the future is a massive decline in organizational trust and respect. The good employees who witness this corporate behavior start bailing as fast as possible. The poor performers keep getting more goals and responsibilities adding on to them while the middle managers run a tread mill to no where. In short, organizational choices of this nature will start a downward spiral.

I witnessed this corporate behavior many times in the 90’s and it was a sad process. As I start to see it surface again in 2014, I just shake my head and wonder why. It will take a strong and level-headed leader to change this strategic choice before better days are to come round once more. If you think your organization may be on a trajectory of decline, then read the following book: Collins, Jim. How The Mighty Fall and Why Some Companies Never Give In, HarperCollins, 2009. There is hope but recovery is not going to be an easy process if we keep eating our young and pre-maturely retiring our older workers. 

I also encourage you to read the article “Why Your Company Must Be Mission-Driven” by Chris Groscurth which was recently posted on the Gallup Business Journal website < http://businessjournal.gallup.com >. As the author notes, “Many executives don't realize that mission is an underused asset in improving organizational performance and profitability, and they neglect their ultimate responsibility of aligning their brand and culture with their highest purpose. Failure to meet a company's mission-related needs is failure of leadership.” The article includes a sound review of the 12 elements of great management, but it also includes the latest meta-analysis on the value of mission and its relation to margin. On page two of the article, I enjoyed reading about the “five factors behind the success-promoting, margin-boosting benefits of focusing on mission” and the “seven strategies for maximizing mission-driven leadership.” Overall, it is a good, short article and well-worth the time to read.

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

Timing is Critical

Many years ago, I got a phone call inviting me to northern Minnesota in mid-September to lead an in-depth senior management retreat on the subject of mission, vision and core values. The CEO had booked an entire lodge by a secluded lake for the day and had flown up a top notch chef from the Twin Cities to cater the meal.

The food was amazing. The setting was spectacular. The fall colors were at their peak, and the strategic level dialogue around mission, vision and values was very poor. It is no fun facilitating a group process when clearly something else needed to be discussed. After multiple attempts to get the discussion to a deeper level than superficial conversation, I invited the group to go with me for a walk around the nearby lake.

Once out in nature, people seemed to relax a bit and open up. Therefore, I turned to one of the vice presidents and said, “What am I missing here? This is an important topic but no one wants to participate.”

We walked for a bit and then he replied, “The setting is perfect. The food is over the top, and the subject is important. You are even doing a good job. However, we recently failed an inspection at one of our facilities, and the plan of correction is due to be submitted tomorrow morning at 9:00 am. Most of us were planning on having this day to review the entire plan of correction, coordinate our efforts, and make sure that this does not happen again. But the CEO thought it would be best if we talked about mission, vision and core values instead. Therefore, most of us after this retreat will be burning the midnight oil to make sure everything is in place related to the plan of correction. The retreat is a good idea. It’s just at the wrong time.”

As I continued walking around the lake, I reflected on how many times I have witnessed this take place. At times, it feels like an epidemic of missed opportunities. What should have taken place and what did take place were not in alignment. Talking about mission, vision and core values is very important, but holding this conversation at the right time is also important.

Our challenge as leaders is to pay very close attention to our direct reports and to know where each of them are in their journey with the organization. Great managers build on strengths, and great leaders build on clarity. This week I strongly encourage you to reconnect with each of your direct reports and to better understand what they are working on and what are their priorities.  As I learned many years ago while walking around a lake, timing is mission critical to success.

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

The Two Most Important Words

When working with young leaders and managers, I often ask them this simple question: What are the two most important leadership words you can ever say on a regular basis?  The answers often range from “vision and strategy” to “mission and core values.”  While these are great answers, I believe they miss the mark. The two most powerful words are “Thank-you.” 

Every day people are working hard to solve problems, to meet expectations and deadlines, and to fulfill goals. Some days they are wrapped up in project management meetings. Most days people come to work early and then stay late. 

And what is our response as leaders?  Often nothing. 

Some leaders say to me, “That’s just their job. Why should I say ‘thank-you’ for doing their job?”

And from that perspective, nothing should be said. Furthermore, from that perspective, anything that was said would not be taken seriously or considered meaningful either. 

However, I have witnessed great leaders and great leadership. These individuals know that success does not start with positional leadership. It starts with an understanding that people bring their hearts and minds to work every day.  They want to do good. They want to make a difference. They want to make progress. 

But depending on what they experience in the work place, they may shelve their hearts and ultimately their minds, and only bring their hands and backs to the work place. These employees learn from what they experience on a daily basis.  Genuine respect is not about just what is said, but also what is done. 

The foundation for success is to start from a place of humble gratitude for all the effort people are putting in each and every day to do more than just their job description.  For those who are working hard, staying late and thinking creatively, we need to say  “thank-you.’  For those who are struggling with dysfunctional teams, poorly designed systems, and even worst, poorly written goals, we need to say “thank-you.” And for those who are doing things right plus doing the right things, we need to say “thank-you.”

Leaders get what they exhibit and what they tolerate, noted Kevin Cashman.  It is time we exhibit more gratitude and tolerate less dysfunctional behaviors.  Otherwise, we will loose our best people and our best opportunities to live up to our mission.  The choice is ours to make.  

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

The Source That Ties It All Together

I have the delightful opportunity each month to visit with numerous leaders and managers in different companies through out the country. Given my long term working relationships with these individuals, we quickly get past the superficial and end up in the deep end of the pool, dealing with complex and often unique adaptive situations and problems that cross their path. Working at this level with so many people, it becomes abundantly clear that the best leaders and the best managers all rely on their company’s strategic nexus to make the appropriate decisions and actions which will move the company forward in a successful manner.

The strategic nexus in each company is unique to that company. First, nexus comes form the Latin word, nectere, which means to bind or hold together. In successful companies, the strategic nexus is the sum of two things, namely it’s core ideology and it’s strategic plan. The former is defined by the company’s mission, vision and core values. The latter is defined by the goals and metrics within the strategic plan. The goal of the former is to preserve the core of the company and the goal of the later is to constantly stimulate progress. When these two are utilized well, then an organization can move forward confidently and consistently no matter what is taking place around them.

However, many young leaders and managers are not clear about what the basic elements within the nexus mean. Often, when asked about these elements, I like to explain them in this manner. First, the vision of the company is the destination we are seeking to get to over time. Second, the strategy of the company is the path we choose to take to get to that vision. Next, the mission of the company is what we do along that pathway and the core values are how we act with each other and our customers along the path. Finally, the tactics are the decisions and choices we take along the path to the vision. While I recognize that this is a simplistic way to explain some very complex concepts, it is, nevertheless, a good beginning.

In short, the best leaders and managers that I have have met during my wonderful life journey all utilize a well defined and well communicated strategic nexus to make their organizations highly successful.  It is the source that ties it all together. 

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

Critical Leadership Choices During Uncertainty

Michael Useem, in his article, “Four Lessons in Adaptive Leadership,” from the November 2010 issue of the Harvard Business Review, writes “A culture of adaptability is vital to survive in the armed forces. As business executives cope with increasing unpredictability, they can take a page from the military’s book.” Useem believes there are four leadership precepts to handling unpredictability, namely the ability to meet the troops, make decisions, focus on mission, and convey strategic intent. While seeming elementary at first glance, from my perspective these foundational leadership skills are more difficult than most people comprehend.

In the beginning, meeting the troops means making a personal link with every employee, individually or in gatherings. These direct connections, e.g. a handshake or a brief look into someone’s eyes, make an indelible impression, “serving to focus attention and ensure retention of the mission and message that a leader seeks to convey.”

Making good and timely decisions is “the crux of responsibility in a leadership position.” As Useem writes, “The ability to make fast and effective decisions that draw quickly upon the insights of all those on the front lines is among the defining qualities of combat-ready leadership. It is encoded in a Marine dictum: When you’re 70% ready and have 70% consensus, act. Don’t shoot from the hip, but also don’t wait for perfection. Of course, the 70% is not a strict metric but, rather, a metaphor for the need to balance deliberation and action.” The key is to learn how to make good and timely decisions under ambiguous conditions.

Everyone knows that establishing a common purpose is vital to organizational success. However, making the mission your company’s top priority is not that easy. Operational challenges often trump mission and strategy. Helping leaders comprehend and put into action the mission is a constant struggle.

Finally, Useem notes that making the objectives clear, i.e. conveying strategic intent, requires us to avoid micromanaging those will execute the objectives. As he writes, “Conveying strategic intent is one of the skills essential to aligning people across an organization to reach a common goal - and leaders must them rely on the people’s ingenuity for getting there.”

While warfare and business are vastly different, ambiguity and unpredictability is not. Developing a culture that succeeds in spite of unprecedented uncertainty is a key foundational leadership skill set moving forward.

One way to learn the above skills sets is to enroll in the 2012 From Vision to Action Leadership Training. This in-depth training meets once a quarter in 2012 and covers the topics of leadership, strategic planning and execution, and organizational change. For more information about this unique training opportunity and how to register, please click on the following link: http://www.chartyourpath.com/VTA-Leadership-Training.html.

Uncertainty, ambiguity and unpredictability will be a major part of our future for many years to come. Being prepared can generate improved leadership capacity which will translate into a culture of readiness and commitment. I look forward to your participation in the 2012 From Vision to Action Leadership Training.

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

Two Questions

Day in and day out, the world keeps changing.

Currents events in the Middle East are causing more people to worry about fuel prices and the stability of certain governments. The introduction of the new iPad2 yesterday is causing more people to think that we are entering a post-PC time period. The US Senate approved another short term spending measure and is causing more people to wonder how anything is actually going to get done at the Federal level between now and the 2012 election. In short, every day there is a new crisis, concern, problem, or opportunity, depending on how you view it. Every day something changes which has strategic implications.

One could feel overwhelmed by all that is happening. There is risk on so many levels. Yet in the midst of analyzing all these strategic variables, we need to pause and ask ourselves two very simple questions, namely “What do I do?” and “What do I do that really matters the most?” The former needs to connect to the strategic plan. The later needs to connect to the mission of the organization.

In a world of constant inputs and potential strategic scenarios, it is important for us to reconnect with the core of what we do. Change may be the constant but stewardship of what should not change is just as important. Before this week wraps up, pause and answer the above two questions. It will help you to refocus on the right things. Being a vision-led and mission-driven organization is the only foundation for handling change successfully.

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