Embrace The “Genius Of The And”

Since March of 2020 and the arrival of a global pandemic called COVID-19, we have been living at the edge of chaos, a period of maximum risk on multiple levels. This on-going situation has required us to experiment, and adapt many of our systems, strategies and structures. Over and over, we have been seeking new and realistic solutions.

Clearly, to get to where we are today, we have not taken a linear path. Instead,  we have learned that:

- unforeseen inputs have generated unforeseen consequences.

- making multiple course corrections is the new normal.

- moving to the edge of chaos has created many levels of innovation not previously thought possible.

- having a clearly defined and well utilized strategic nexus can make a world of difference at times like this.

With the above in mind, let’s step back in time before we move forward.

On October 26, 1994, nearly 28 years ago, the book Built To Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies was published by HarperBusiness. It was written by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras, and it outlined the results of a six-year research project conducted at the Stanford Business School in the early 1990’s. The book focused on the question: “What does it take to start and build an enduring great company from the ground up?” It is now considered to be one of the most influential business books of our era.

The two primary objectives of the research published in this book were to identify the underlying characteristics that are common to highly visionary companies, and to effectively communicate these findings so that they could influence management.

I remember what it was like to read this book for the first time. I finally found the words and phrases to capture what I was already seeing and experiencing as a young consultant, trainer and executive coach in the fields leadership, strategic planning and organizational change. It gave me the ability to explain certain things and the research to back up what I already knew on one level from personal experience.

Over the coming weeks, I want to return to the core research in this book. In particular, I want to explore three core concepts. They are:

- embrace the “genius of the and”.

- find your organization’s purpose and build the “core ideology”.

- preserve the core/stimulate progress, namely change everything readily, except the core beliefs and values.

The first concept is called the “Genius Of The And.” The opposite of the “Genius of the And” is the “Tyranny of the OR.”

As Collins and Porras wrote: “.. a key aspect of highly visionary companies: They do not oppress themselves with what we call the “Tyranny of the OR” - the rationale view that cannot easily accept paradox, that cannot live with two seemingly contradictory forces or ideas at the same time. The “Tyranny of the OR” pushes people to believe that things must be either A OR B, but not both.” They explain that in the “Tyranny of the OR,” it is change or stability, conservative or bold, low cost or high quality.

However, they note the following: “Instead of being oppressed by the “Tyranny of the OR,” highly visionary companies liberate themselves with the “Genius of the AND” - the ability to embrace both extremes of a number of dimensions at the same time. Instead of choosing between A OR B, they figure out a way to have both A AND B.” In highly visionary companies, it is purpose and profit, fixed core ideology and vigorous change, conservative core and opportunistic experimentation.

They conclude by noting the following: “We’re not talking about mere balance here. “Balance” implies going to the midpoint, fifty-fifty, half and half. It seeks to do very well in the short-term and very well in the long-term. A visionary company doesn’t simply balance between idealism and profitability; it seeks to be highly idealistic and highly profitable.”

I believe that given current events and highly likely future possibilities that we, as leaders, need to embrace the “Genius Of The And.” In order to do this, leaders at all levels will need to have: a unique mindset and skill set, namely technical knowledge of our industry plus an adaptive mindset along with a social skill set to handle issues related to people and change. This unique combination will give us the capacity to plan and the capacity to execute with the “Genius of the And” in mind.

For us here today, I believe we lack the time and space in our daily lives to discuss, explore and comprehend the magnitude of such an idea and perspective. I encourage you to make time and to consider how your organization could be more visionary by embracing the “Genius of the And.”  It is one pathway to moving through the coming turbulent three to five years.

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

Letter To A Young Trainer

Introduction

I have always considered myself a teacher, even though I have used the more familiar term in the business world called “trainer.”  I recognize that teaching can be more theoretical and abstract while training is more hands-on and practical. The reality is that exceptional education involves both the abstract and the practical. And they both involve working with people, who we define as students or learners.

After forty plus years of being involved in educating people, there is one small and important thing I have noticed about trainers who struggle and those who do not. The former think that teaching is the goal. The later grasp that learning and applying the lessons learned is the goal. 

While this may seem like a highly simplistic observation, it is still a critical one. The difference is profound, because exceptional trainers do not consider the transfer of information from the teacher to the student to be equivalent to the student’s capacity to understand, internalize, and actually utilize the information or concepts they are being taught. The best trainers know that awareness is not understanding, and that understanding is the precursor to integration and application over time. 

Furthermore, the best teachers and trainers understand that the word education  comes from the Latin verb, educo, which means to “lead, draw out, or to develop within.” Education is not the process of simply imprinting new information into the student’s mind like it is a blank clay tablet. Instead, the best educators understand that teaching involves leading the student through the educational process, drawing forth what is already inside them, plus developing within them the capacity to rise to the challenges before them.

With this in mind, I want to share with you four key concepts that have helped me in my long journey in the land of teaching and learning. While these concepts may be simple, they are not easy. Instead, they require us as teachers and trainers to approach our work in a focused and diligent manner with the understanding that being kind, considerate and thoughtful is critical to the enlightening experience of learning something new.

Create Safe Learning Spaces

When beginning to design and then teach a workshop or seminar, most people focus on goals and objectives, or concepts they want to share. Some even start by creating all their power point slides. While these are all important, I like to start from a completely different place. I focus on how to create a safe learning experience for each particular group, especially when teaching people about leadership, strategic planning, and organizational change.

First, as the late, Dr. Richard Farson, a behavioral psychologist, noted: “… much of the job of executive development is an unlearning process - getting rid of barriers to perception and wisdom and judgement.” This is a challenging part of the learning journey. It is not easy to unlearn something after years of doing it. People struggle with this and they will not learn a new way of doing something if the space is not safe for this level of internal reflection, evaluation, and consideration. As psychologist Elizabeth Krumrei Mancuso wrote, “Learning requires the humility to realize one has something to learn.” From my experience, this only takes place if the learning environment is built on trust, respect, and a willingness to listen, not just a focus on our speaking and teaching.

Second, Kevin Wilde, former Chief Learning Officer for General Mills, reminds us of a key concept when it comes to leadership development. As he explained, “Ultimately, leadership development has to integrate the depth of inner self-awareness with the breath and complexity of external marketplace and cultural dynamics. Enduring leadership development brings together both of these inner and outer realities.” The best teachers and trainers grasp that there is a deep internal process of re-evaluation taking place during a learning experience and  a broadening of perspective when teaching leaders to become better leaders. 

When both levels are taking place at the same time, it is easy for someone to become overwhelmed. Thus, it is the responsibility of the educator to thoughtfully pace the learning journey and to recognize that the student has to take in the information being taught and then have time to process it. This combination of receiving and processing new ideas and perspectives demands the learning environment be safe and respectful.

A safe learning environment begins with respect for each person’s learning journey, recognizing that all of us learn differently. Next, a wise teacher creates a supportive learning environment. They understand the old French saying, “Change is a door that only opens from the inside.” They focus on developing a learning environment where people feel comfortable to share, explore and ask questions. And one critical element of this learning environment is for educators to listen thoughtfully and respectfully, understanding that new ideas and ways of working are challenging in the beginning and often reflect self-evaluation, redefinition and ultimately integration. 

Finally, a safe learning environment is an interactive environment. It requires all involved to understand that asking a question is not a sign of weakness or ineptitude as much as a signal for greater understanding. Some days learning involves gaining new knowledge and other days it involves connecting new knowledge with old ideas or experiences. In short, successful education is both an internal personal experience as well as an external group experience.

As the late futurist Alvin Toffler, reminds us: “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” And we, as teachers and trainers, are in the business of helping people, learn, unlearn, and relearn.

Teach People, Not Just Concepts

Once the learning environment is safe for all involved, namely teachers and students, then we need to focus on “who” is going through the learning process, not just “what” is being taught. “The education of a leader is a complex thing,” writes Robert J. Thomas, Executive Director of Accenture’s Institute for High Performance Business and Galvin Professor of Leadership at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. “Certainly, talent matters. But even the most naturally gifted still have a lot to learn, and one of the most important things a leader needs to learn is what he or she stands for; what he is made of, what she believes in, what lines he will not cross. Crucible events and relationships have the potential to reveal what a leader stands for. Sometimes the revelation is immediate and obvious, but it can just as easily take years to figure out. The key is being able to notice, to be open to learning.”

Time and time again, I have had former students share with me that they felt the entire workshop, seminar or in-depth training was created just for them. They felt like I knew them and understood what their challenges were in the work place and in life, in general, as a leader. “How did you do that?” Is a common question I am asked.

And my response is always the same. “I spent time getting to know you, your company and the issues that all involved are dealing. I was not just teaching leadership, strategic planning and organizational change. I was teaching you these subjects. The learning starts with you. The concepts are secondary in the beginning.” 

This always stuns former students and their follow-up question is important. “How do you do this?”

If it is a company I have been working with for a number of years, then more likely I already have a grasp of their strategy and the current operational challenges. If not, I seek out this information in a proactive manner.

Next, if I am already familiar with the company, then I check about whether I know the student’s supervisor or manager. If I know them from a previous consultation or training, I will be in touch with this individual so I can get a more complete understanding of specific division or department challenges. Often, in the process, their supervisor will inform me about what they are coaching this current employee on and why they want this individual to participant in a learning experience with me. If not, I seek out this information.

The goal here is build a learning experience that meets their needs in the short and the long term. It is to create a time and place where students are willing to engage with me as the trainer and be open to the learning. This means I have to be open to learning from them as much they are willing to learn from me. I have to welcome them into the learning environment and be willing to hear their insights, concerns and problems in a respectful manner. When I do this, they will be more open to listening and interacting with what I am sharing. 

People first and concepts second recognizes that being open to learning is a two way street. Learning is complex. Teaching leadership can be complicated. But when the students know you are speaking to them and their experience, they are more willing to be open to learning. And that is the goal all along.

Realize That Everyone Learns In Their Own Unique Way

Marcus Buckingham in his book, The One Thing You Need to Know ... About Great Managing, Great Leading, and Sustained Individual Success (Free Press, 2005), explains that people learn in a variety of ways and that no one has a better learning style than anyone else. The three types of learning are analyzing learners, doing learners, and watching learners.

In simple terms, Buckingham explains that analyzers understands a task by taking it apart, examining its elements, and reconstructing it piece by piece. They crave information and need to know all there is to know before they are comfortable with it. The best way to teach an analyzer is with ample classroom time, role playing when appropriate, and post-mortem through analysis. They hate making mistakes and do not “wing it.”

A doer, on the other hand, learns during action. Define the goal or desired outcome and then get out of the way. For them, mistakes are the raw material for learning. They will wing it every time.

Finally, understanding that an analyzer learns before action and a doer learns during action, a watch learns best through imitation. They do not want to take something apart and then learn each part. Instead, they want to see the most experienced or best person do something, and then they will engage in the learning.

Our challenge as teachers and trainers is to recognize that on any given day, there is a wide variety of learning styles in our classrooms. And remembering that no one style is the right style, we need to design learning experiences that respect these differences and engages with these various learning styles.

While an analyzer will appreciate charts and graphs, a doer wants to be given a problem and try to figure it out on their own. A watcher will enjoy a good story so they can picture the optimal performance before engaging. By shifting our teaching methods to meet a variety of different learning styles, we can achieve our learning goals and assure a great degree of retention and application over time. 

When we, as educators, realize that everyone learns in their own unique way and then teach accordingly, we create a student-centered learning environment that results in higher degree of success, be it in new knowledge or new skills.

Life Long Learning Is The Desired Outcome

“Transformational learning is like a powerful lightening bolt - learning that can unleash extraordinary power for changing our lives,” writes Verna Allee, international business consultant. “Transformational learning is a process of discovery and deep reflection that leads to profound shifts of direction, behaviors, values, beliefs, and operating assumptions.” 

For some students, transformational learning is an anomaly or rare event. It is the epiphany that wakes them up to a greater perspective and deeper understanding. I treasure these light bulb moments in the classroom when someone all of a sudden gets what I am teaching.

However, the goal of teaching is not to create one lightbulb moment. It is to create the desire to keep learning. Many former students of mine report to me that after in-depth training, they just want to read and learn more about the variety of subjects we explored in class. And I am 100% in support of this choice. I encourage them to learn from a variety of teachers, not just me, and to read and study from a variety of authors. I believe that teaching is the beginning; life long learning is desired outcome and journey.

Years ago, the late Stephen Covey wrote, “Wisdom is learning all we can, but humility to realize that we don’t know it all.” As I enter this time period in my life, I have returned to the beginning. The goal now is to focus on being a good student. There is so much more to learn and countless opportunities to do it. I know that self-education and continual transformation are interconnected. And I am excited about the journey ahead.

© Geery Howe 2022

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

The World Can Be Much Better

For weeks now, I have been contemplating the following quote by philosopher Max Roser:

“Three things are true at the same time. The world is much better; the world is awful; and the world can be much better.” 

I find it challenging on one level to hold his three things as true at the same time. It is so easy to go to the place of “the world is awful.” It is easy to frame things up through this lens and to find information and people who will support it. But I know that if I follow this path, I am not going to end up in a place that serves me well or allows me to live up to my full potential as a person or an executive coach.

While I have glimpses of “the world is much better,” I find that I am leaning now toward the work related to helping the world “be much better.” I am inspired by Katharine Wilkinson in her TED Talk when she stated, “It is a magnificent thing to be alive in a moment that matters so much.” And I do believe that this time matters so much.

I know from experience that most businesses fail because of ruptured relationships among the people who work there. And I know that as I get older, a lot of my work is helping people deal with the social and emotional aspects of being a leader, not just the technical aspects of organizational change, i.e. creating a new strategic plan or executing a new strategic plan.

I have come to the realization that when we choose as leaders to involve people who have to do the work in the decisions that will affect them, this choice is based upon the idea that people are better than we think they are. They can be counted on to make wise choices. This leadership choice is grounded in a perspective and understanding that “the world can be much better.” It is a place where hope, perspective, and faith come together.

As you move forward through this new week, I encourage you to pause and reflect on Max Roser’s three things, and then decide which one you are going to focus on for the next seven days. I hope you will choose to make the world a much better place for all of us.

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

Working Hard; Staying Humble

So many young leaders are taught and coached to “play hardball” with their people. Being “hard nosed” is seen as an appropriate course of action when solving problems and dealing with problem people. While I recognize that defining clear expectations is very important and will make a difference at the individual and team levels, I don’t think we spend enough talking with young leaders about being humble and respectful. 

I grow up in a world where hard work was respected and encouraged. “Do your best” was a phrase my parents often said. Many of the first team leaders I ever worked with believed in it as well. But being hard and harsh with people was never tolerated. 

My elders and my first supervisors understood that there was “always more to the story.” When someone was struggling, they knew something was going on at work or at home that was impacting them, and, maybe, even creating the problems at work. 

They always encouraged me to be respectful and humble, because one day I may be “in their shoes.” And then, I would want people to give me some patience, grace, and kindness. I have never forgotten these important lessons. 

This week, I encourage you to work hard and “to give it your best shot.” Then, be humble as you move through your days. Learning to be a great leader takes time, experience, and the capacity to keep learning every step of the way. 

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

Letter To A New Senior Leader

Introduction

Remember the first day you supervised a group of people? It was a bit overwhelming. There was so much to do and you felt like every one needed your time and attention to solve their problems. Now, you are a new senior leader within the organization. You have come a long way since that first day,

And along the way, you have experienced many complicated challenges and complex problems. You also have learned many important lessons. You have survived where others did not. You rose through the ranks and now are considered one of the more knowledgeable and experienced professionals within the company.

First, congratulations. You have accomplished something that not a lot of people achieve in the course of their career. You have worked hard to get here.

Second, the tendency to frame up this moment as a reward for all of your hard work is common. But now that you have the job, do not define it as a reward. Instead, choose the more honorable path and define this moment as a unique and important opportunity to serve more people in a responsible and ethical manner. Act from a place of integrity and seek to make your company a better place to work and to serve others. Do not get caught in the trap of focusing on the status, power, and money that comes with the position.

Finally, think back to your early days when you were not a supervisor, manager or leader. Do you remember how much your first supervisor impacted the quality of your work day? Do you remember the days when you received good supervision and the days when you did not?  This is still the case today for many people in your organization. Their immediate supervisor is the person who is impacting their life and work the most on a daily basis. 

As a new senior leader, you matter more than you think. Your actions and your words impact the lives of many people across the organization. Do not forget this as you move forward from here. 

But always remember that the person doing the job of serving customers is where the products and services you offer as an organization become real and tangible. Most customers or persons served do not know the senior leaders of the company, but they do know how they felt when they interacted with a front line employee. Make that moment of truth the focus of all you do. That is where the company comes alive. That is where success or failure becomes real. 

Focus On Your Team

As a new senior leader, it is mission critical for you to create a healthy leadership team. You need this team to be cohesive and effective. They need to engage in constructive ideological conflict, hold one another accountable for their behaviors and actions, and commit to group decisions. 

Patrick Lencioni in his book, The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business (Jossey-Bass, 2012), writes: ““Becoming a real team requires an intentional decision on the part of its members…. teamwork is not a virtue. It is a choice - and a strategic one.” I think many new senior leaders miss this key point. They do not grasp the importance of creating a leadership team, who are collectively responsible for achieving the agreed to goals for the entire organization.

The first step in this process is to clearly define who is and who is not on the team, and why. People have to know who is on the team and who is not. They also need to grasp that this was a strategic choice, not just an operational default to status quo.

The second step is to define the purpose, goals, and metrics of the team. Through strategic level dialogue all involved need to know why team work matters, and what is the level of urgency related to the agreed to goals. Finally, everyone needs to understand how progress will be measured.

The third step is to clarify your expectations with the team. In particular, you need to know what the individuals of the team need from the team in order for them to be successful. And the team needs to know from you what you need from the team in order for you to be successful.

The fourth step, is to regularly build capacity and understanding through on-going strategic level dialogue, and shared learning. This creates a foundation of shared, common language, perspective and understanding which always improves communication and problem solving. One element of this step is to create an annual team development plan to increase this desired level of shared understanding.

The fifth step is to receive routine leadership coaching, and to participate in leadership team level coaching. When we role model the importance of being coached at the individual level and at the team level, we send a message that everyone can and should get better at their job. 

Remember: Teamwork is a strategic choice. And every successful senior leader I have ever met has always been successful because they had a healthy and cohesive leadership team.

Define Your Strategic Nexus

At the heart of every successful company is a strategic nexus. The term nexus comes from the Latin word, nectere, which means to bind as in to hold something together. This nexus is the sum of two important components namely a core ideology, which is the union of the organizational vision, mission, and core values, plus a strategic plan with its’ typical goals, objectives,  and metrics.

As a new senior leader, you want all involved to own and to understand this strategic nexus. You want it to guide people in the decisions they make and the actions they take, be it at the operational level or the strategic level.

The thing we need to understand about the strategic nexus is that the amount of time and energy needed to create clarity about the nexus within a company is an order of magnitude greater than the time and energy it takes to create and maintain the nexus. Therefore, we need to recognize that creating clarity about the nexus is not a linear process. Instead, it is a dynamic process involving dialogue, repetition, and exceptional listening.

The goal of this sharing, which will result in a deep understanding, is for all employees to feel connected to the nexus. In particular, we want people to feel connected to the core ideology, i.e. the mission, vision and core values. We also want them to feel connected to the strategy of the company and the related operational goals and priorities. Finally, we want people to feel connected to their supervisor, their team, their department, and to the company as a whole. In short, we want people to feel proud of where they work and proud of the work they are doing.

To accomplish this level of connection, we must recognize that clarity, connection, and communication, i.e. strategic dialogue about the nexus, creates commitment. A healthy and well-understood nexus centers the organization around purpose and progress more than egos or personalities of the leaders.

Expand Your Listening Ecosystem 

One of the major problems that senior leaders experience is related to communication, namely they are trapped in an information bubble. While they have access to more lines of communication than anybody else in the company, the information that flows to them is suspect and compromised, because people are always wanting to put a positive spin on everything. Often, the result of this information bubble is overconfidence and outdated ideas or information. 

Therefore, as Adam Bryant and Kevin Sharer note in their article called “Are You Really Listening?” in the March-April 2021 issue of the Harvard Business Review, senior leaders need to expand their “listening ecosystem.” They do this by broadening their network of sources inside and outside the company, listening without judgement or an agenda, and actively seeking input from this network. They call this kind of listening, “a multidimensional practice.”

Furthermore, the best senior leaders grasp an importance insight that Patrick Lencioni explained in his book, The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business (Jossey-Bass, 2012). As he wrote, “The problem is that leaders confuse the mere transfer of information to an audience with the audience’s ability to understand, internalize it, and embrace the message that is being communicated.  The only way for people to embrace a message is to hear it over a period of time, in a variety of different situations, and preferably from different people.” When we speak clearly and listen well as leaders, we are role modeling the importance of understanding what is being said, not just trying to be heard. 

Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall build on this concept in their book, Nine Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader’s Guide to the Real World (Harvard Business Review Press, 2019). As they wrote, “Checking in with each person on a team - listening, course-correcting, adjusting, coaching, pinpointing, advising, paying attention to the intersection of the person and the real-world work - is not what you do in addition to  the work of leading. This is the work of leading.”

When we choose to expand our listening ecosystem and to engage in active listening, we are building the capacity to adapt to unpredictable times and complex problems.

Create More Leaders

"Toughness, rigor and drive are still important; results count more than ever,” write Alan Webber and William Taylor. “But these days, it's just as important for CEO's to appreciate the links between talent, culture and performance. More than simply giving orders, CEO's today find themselves giving permission - allowing the smart, motivated, and innovative people who work for them to take calculated risks in order to create the future. Perhaps more than anything, the CEO of today is a teacher, working tirelessly to grow the skills and aptitudes of the company's best contributors. The job of the CEO is to create more CEOs, since CEOs who get it seek to populate the company with people who also get it.”

In successful, adaptable, and resilient companies, the role of a senior leader is complicated and complex. We need to act strategically and operationally. We need to balance the present and the future while simultaneously shaping the values and standards within the company.

The pathway to this level of work is to focus on execution and education through regular and productive coaching and mentoring of others. We have to create more people who share a common strategic and operational mindset. 

Yet, too many senior leaders focus solely on executing the strategic plan. They do not comprehend that strategy must always be adaptable by nature due to unforeseen variables rather than the presentation of  a rigid set of instructions or tactics which has the potential to create organizational vulnerability. Strategy also serves an important function in promoting ongoing, organizational evolution within an ever changing market place.

When we move from focusing on our own individual leadership as a senior leader and create a “leader-full organization,” borrowing a term from Margaret Wheatley, we create the ability within the organization to transfer leadership and ownership to those involved who can translate strategy into practical and realistic progress over time. This gives the company the capacity to adapt and evolve in a proactive and effective manner over time. 

The Culture Is The Strategy

When it comes to strategic planning and execution, a senior leader needs to remember one very important point. As Jason Jennings wrote in his book, Less is More: How Great Companies Use Productivity as a Competitive Tool in Business (Penguin Putnam, 2002.): “In productive companies, the culture is the strategy. Unlike other companies, productive companies know the difference between tactics and strategy. The difference is the foundation that allows them to stay focused and build remarkable companies. They have institutionalized their strategy.”

What Jennings is pointing out is that successful organizations consciously institutionalized their culture. As we know, an organization’s culture is the sum of behavioral norms that are agreed upon, mostly by people in positions of power. This culture is often learned by the way people role model it, i.e. actions speak louder than words. It also is taught by the stories we tell ourselves and others about who we are and what we believe as an organization. And before we forget, most of this role modeling and story telling is happening at the local level more than the corporate office level.

As a new senior leader, it is too easy to forget that on any given day  about 80% of the staff report to a front line supervisor and about 80% of the employees work side by side with a small group of co-workers. For these particular staff, their front line supervisor and their co-workers, not you as a senior leader, are their world. For them, these relationships are “the company culture.”

Now, there are four levels of culture happening every day in the company. The first is the interpersonal culture, namely peer to peer. The second is the operational culture, namely the employee to their supervisor. The third level is the strategic culture, namely the supervisor’s relationship with the senior team. The fourth is organizational culture, namely the company as a whole.

When we recognize that culture is the strategy in successful companies, then we need to improve the interpersonal culture and the operational culture. These are the two places that have the most impact on the quality of the customer and employee experience. When employees think and act from clarity about what is and what is not acceptable, they translate the strategy into relationships that yield positive results over time. And this is the ultimate goal that all senior leaders want to see happen year after year.

Recognize That Every New Beginning Start With An Ending

One of the first things that all new senior leaders want to do is make change happen. They are eager to get started. They want to plan their work and then work their plan. And this laser focus is commendable but not helpful. As an executive coach, I often point out that every new beginning starts with an ending. 

When we seek to create organizational change as a new senior leader, we are focusing on new outcomes and new destinations. However, what we forget in our focus on the future is that most employees are just trying to get through their day to day operational checklists, challenges, and problems. They are focused on now. As a senior leader, we are doing the work of change management. Employees, on the other hand, have to do the work of transition management. 

William Bridges in his book, Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change (Perseuss Books, 1991), explains that “the starting point for a transition is not the [new] outcome but the ending that you will have to make to leave the old situation behind.” Bridges understands that people worked hard to get to the current form of operations. They struggled, solved problems, and created realistic solutions to daily problems in the journey to get to this time and place. 

When we as senior leaders introduce change, we have to respect that for many employees this means that they have to let go of the “old way” of doing things to embrace the “new way” of doing things that comes with change. This ending often comes with a loss of clarity, competence, and confidence at the individual and team levels. In realistic terms, change for a new senior leader starts with a new beginning, but for most employees it starts with loss. If we do not respect these losses, we create a wide variety of short and long term problems.

Therefore, I continually remind new senior leaders that during a transition people need very specific information. As Bridges notes in the aforementioned book, people want to know the purpose of the new changes, i.e. the why that drives the change. Next, they want to have a mental picture of what the outcome will be when we all achieve the goals outlined in the changes being initiated. Third, they want to know the plan to get there, i.e. the step-by-step goals and objectives to create the desired picture. Finally, people want to understand what they are responsible for within the plan, namely to have clarity about their role or part in the plan.

Over and over, I have to advise new senior leaders to slow down in order to create successful change. They need to understand how hard people worked to get to this place and to understand whether the culture and the relationships within the organization have the capacity to move to a new level of performance. 

Regularly, as an outside consultant, I have discovered that while the proposed changes are good, the people are not ready and do not understand why status quo is not acceptable. Furthermore, when called in as a consultant to figure out why change did not take place successfully, I also discover that the teamwork required to make the new beginnings happen is based on the assumption that all involved, people and teams, are functional. In reality, most teams have a high degree of dsyfunctionality and most people do not have the right knowledge or skills required to execute and achieve the desired new outcomes. Finally, many companies also do not have the right organizational capabilities, e.g. systems or structure, to execute the new business strategy well.

Thus, a new senior leader needs to slow down before they speed up. They need to respect the endings before they engage in the new beginning. In short, they need to build the capacity and the relationships in order to be successful over time and through multiple change cycles. 

This is not easy to do, but it is important. As the old African proverb reminds us: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” The goal of a senior leader is to go far. Therefore, remember that every new beginning start with an ending.

Your Legacy Matters

We were sitting together in his office on the top floor of the national corporate headquarters building right after he had announced his retirement to the senior team and upper level management. It was a quiet and reflective moment for both of us.

“How did you know now was the right time to do this?”, I inquired.

He paused and then responded, “When I figured out that things outside my office window were starting to be more interesting and important to me than the things on my desk and on my computer screen.” This is an astute observation that I have carried with me for a very long time.

What many people new to senior leadership do not recognize is that the next step after becoming a senior leader is often retirement. They do not grasp that there may not be another hill to climb or next level up from the C suite. This often is it. And then retirement happens.

As the late Stephen Covey wrote: “There’s no way we can escape accountability.  We make a difference - one way or the other. We are responsible for the impact of our lives. Whatever we do with whatever we have, we leave behind us a legacy for those who follow.”

The best senior leaders I have met grasp what Covey is saying and recognize that legacy matters. They recognize that they are “stewards of the chair” and stewards of their position. They know that someone some day will follow them and become a new senior leader. With this in mind, the best senior leaders role model integrity, compassion and kindness. These are the leadership actions that transcend time and place. These are the legacy actions that people talk about time and time again.

As James Kouzes and Barry Posner in their book, A Leader’s Legacy (Jossey-Bass, 2006), explain, “When we move on, people do not remember us for what we do for ourselves. They remember us for what we do for them. They are the inheritors of our work.”

As you begin your work as a new senior leader, I encourage you to focus on being a humble leader who is focused on helping as many people as possible to be successful on a day to day basis. When we as leaders help others achieve a meaningful day within the context of a caring and respectful work community, then we have made an authentic and positive difference in the world. And this is the greatest legacy of all.

© Geery Howe 2022

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

It Is Time To Rethink The Past

“What you think upon grows. Whatever you allow to occupy your mind you magnify in your own life.” - Emmet Fox

I like the above quote. It reminds me so much of what I learned when I first came to Iowa a long time ago. For me, this learning was distilled down into the following phrase, “What you feed, grows.” I like Fox’s insight about what you think about will become magnified in your life. I believe this is true at home and at work.

As we continue to move through strategic planning season and the in-depth goal setting that comes with it, Fox’s insight reminds me of something Jon Madonna, retired Chairman and CEO of KPMG International, an international accounting and consulting firm, wrote many years ago. As he explained, “Nothing stops an organization faster than people who believe that the way they worked yesterday is the best way to work tomorrow. To succeed, not only do your people have to change the way they act, they’ve got to change the way they think about the past.” 

This is a complex concept and an important concept. As leaders, we mostly focus on changing the way people work and explaining how the new way of working is better. We do not spend enough time showing how maintaining status quo over time will become dangerous to the health of the whole organization. The reason we avoid doing this is because we do not want to rethink past choices. 

Still, the best leaders I have met over the course of my career are the ones who have the courage to point out that the choices we made in the past were the best choices given the needs of the customer, the parameters set within the market place, and the capacity of the company. And they also point out that all three have now changed. Rather than pursue a out dated definition of success, we now need to pursue a more market specific solution that generates capacity to evolve and the ability to adapt rather than simply preserve and protect. 

This can be a challenging choice for people in management and leadership positions but, as Emmet Fox notes, “What ever you allow to occupy your mind you magnify in your own life.” Now is the time to rethink the past and to explore new ideas, perspectives, and solutions. The world is changing and we need to change with it.

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