Watch Out For The Red Queen Principle

Right now, things are changing so fast and people all over the world are struggling. And as more and more people struggle, things change faster and faster.

As an executive coach and as a member of the global community, it hurts when I see and hear of people struggling. Given current events, we can control so few things in our lives. It is as if the world is caught between what was and what will be. But we are not completely sure what the new beginning will look or feel like on the other side.

And in this massive global level transition, I know that I am suppose to accept this struggling. I know that the only way to deal with this is by changing myself and my mindset. Still, even with this realization, I struggle with all of the struggling. 

I think that one of the things I struggle with the most is coronavirus-inspired productivity pressure. I feel like I am suppose to handle all of this, get lots of things done on time, and be creative. Instead, I, like many of you, have moments when I barely have the bandwidth for more. Often, I am just working on keeping up with today.

It was during one of those very busy days of coping that I realized I was living the Red Queen Principle, namely attempting to run faster and faster to just keep up with where I currently was. And in all my running, I kept pushing myself to operate at the normal level of productivity before COVID-19. But these days are not normal, and with all my adapting, adjusting and attempting to be productive, I have moments when I just feel exhausted. I feel worn by the endless unknowns, and the multiple unpredictable outcomes. 

Borrowing a term from the US military, we all are living in a VUCA environment, namely one that is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. Instability is chronic, and uncertainty feels like it is permanent. Change is accelerating at different paces all over the country and disruption is the constant. We can not predict nor govern most events. Some days, things just don’t make sense.

Yet, on one level, we know there will be a day in the future when the global pandemic will be over. Then, we will all leave our homes, hug our friends and families, and celebrate. There will be concerts and conferences. There will be gatherings to worship together and funerals to grieve all of the people we have lost. We will hold hands again with our neighbors and our community, and be grateful that we survived.

But that day is in the future. Right now, I need to get through this day, this week, and this month. Here is a quote by Brene Brown, PhD, LMSW, from her book, Rising Strong: The Reckoning. The Rumble. The Revolution (Spiegel & Grau, 2015), to help us all remember how to do that: 

“We can’t be brave in the big world without at least one small safe space to work through our fears and falls.” 

Our work today is to create that small safe space for ourselves, and to be supportive of others who are doing likewise. When we can be that small safe place for each other, we will transform our capacity to handle all that is happening now and in the future.

So, this week make one small step in the direction of starting that level of work. Your are worth it. And, along the way, stay healthy, stay safe and be strong. I look forward to seeing you on the other side.

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

How do leaders successfully deal with accelerated change, chronic uncertainty and rampant complexity? - part #1

Recently, I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down for dinner with three leaders from three different organizations from three different parts of the country. All of them were struggling with the same issues and problems. All of them were wanting to help their teams become much better. All of them were zooming in to fix things rather than zooming out to understand the bigger picture. So, I decided to open our dinner conversation about what each of these leaders were seeing as the big picture trends that were influencing their work and society at this time period. 

First, all of the leaders gathered talked about the huge retirement wave that is happening across the country. Many called it a silver tsunami with major implications, especially in the areas of loss of understanding, clarity and experience. 

Next, those gathered talked about the aging of society in general, healthcare challenges, and their intense worry about a possible recession in the midst of it all.

Third, many shared about how current political actions feel like we are perpetuating adversarial relationships more than building collaborative relationships focused on common goals.

Finally, all of them talked about the many challenges they are having with recruitment and retention of talent. Each acknowledged that If you don’t take care of your people, they will leave for better compensation. As I listened, I kept thinking of Packard’s Law which states that no company can consistently grow revenues faster than its ability to get enough of the right people to implement that growth with excellence.

The upshot of this big picture conversation was the recognition that leaders and organizations need to be more nimble - i.e. able to learn and understand things quickly and easily, agile - i.e. move quickly and easily, and flexible - i.e. willing to change and try new things.

Over the course of this wonderful dinner meeting, I had three thoughts and I will share two of them with you today. First, we are clearly operating within a VUCA environment which is a military meaning volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environment within which we can rarely predict, influence or govern most events. We also are living through a “continuous series of not normal times”, referencing the work of Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen in their book, Great By Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck - Why Some Thrive Despite Them All, HarperCollins, 2011.

Second, all who were gathered that evening were worried about “knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns.” Former U.S. defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld made this famous phrase in 2002. As he explained” “there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns - the ones we don’t know we don’t know. And … it is the latter category that tend to be the difficult ones.” 

In a market-driven economy where every one and every thing is in the danger of being commoditized, we as leaders need to do some serious and in-depth reflection to determine if we as individuals and our organization have the capacity to be nimble, agile, and flexible. Given the world we live in right now, this is no longer optional. Understanding the bigger picture always helps us make smarter choices over time. 

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

How do leaders position an organization successfully for the future? - part #1

It had been a good day of training when I walked up to the second floor to sit down with the CEO in his office to share my thoughts. As I explained to him, first, you need to unpack the organization’s mission statement as the majority of people who are currently in leadership positions were not around when it was first created back in the mid-90’s. I know this because they do not reference it in their language when describing what is most important. If they do not use the language of the mission statement, then they are not using the mission statement in their work as a leader.

Second, you need to make sure you are cascading clarity in order to increase focus rather than fear about making mistakes. When I asked those in training what was the definition of success, they replied “making the CEO happy”. Quality customer service was a distant third in the group discussion.

Third, you need to connect coaching with goals and professional development rather than coaching as punishment. Currently, coaching is infrequent and mostly a complaining session.

Fourth, you need to define your brand better. If today’s leaders can not articulate a concise message about what they want the organization to be known for within the communities where they offer services, then today’s problems are just going to get bigger.  As a wise leader once told me, “the past is the prologue.”

He thanked me for my comments and we explored the key words within the mission statement that needed to be leveraged more. Then, he shared an observation and a question with me.

His observation was that “Our culture is not as constant as it should be. Our key leaders are not as strong at building that culture as they should be.” And his question was “How do I change this? Because what I am doing currently is not work very well.”

As we discussed his observation, the following line from Jim Collin’s Good to Great came to mind: “Confront the brutal facts but never lose the faith.”

There are three problems within the business world currently, namely cognitive dissonance, hubris born of success, and chronic inconsistency. Cognitive dissonance is the disconnect between what we believe in our minds and what we experience or see in reality. As Marshall Goldsmith in his book, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful, Hyperion, 2007, explains: “the more we are committed to believing that something is true, the less likely we are to believe that the opposite is true, even in the face of clear evidence that shows we are wrong.”

The second problem is hubris born of success. Hubris is historically defined as the excessive pride that brings down a hero. “Great enterprises,” notes Jim Collins in his book, How The Mighty Fall and Why Some Companies Never Give In, HarperCollins, 2009, “can become insulated by success; accumulated momentum can carry an enterprise forward, for a while, even if leaders make poor decisions or lose discipline.” Problems can occur “when people become arrogant, regarding success virtually as an entitlement, and they loose sight of the true underlying factors that created success in the first place.” I agree with Collins that “many organizations are loosing sight of the true facts that created their success in the first place.”

The third problem right now is chronic inconsistency. Again referencing the work of Jim Collins in his book, Great By Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck - Why Some Thrive Despite Them All, HarperCollins, 2011, the big question is the following: “Does your primary flywheel face an editable demise within the next five to ten years due to forces outside your control - will it become impossible for it to remain best in the world with a robust economic engine?” As he explains, “The signature of mediocrity is not an unwillingness to change; the signature of mediocrity is chronic inconsistency.”

When we zoom out and look at the bigger picture this spring, we continue to operate in a VUCA environment, which is a term borrowed from the US military. It stands for a work environment that is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. As Jim Collins and Morten Hansen pointed out in the aforementioned book: “… instability is chronic, uncertainty is permanent, change is accelerating, disruption is common, and we can neither predict nor govern events. We believe there will be no “new normal.” There will only be a continuous series of “not normal” times.”

At the same time, we continue to struggle balancing continuity and change at the day to day level and at the strategic levels. The challenge for many leaders this spring is to balance continuity and change, plus innovation and transformation.

The upshot of this big picture is that we must continue to execute on our strengths. “Success for our company is not going to take a new strategy or an entirely new business model”, notes Blake Nordstrom. “Instead it’s taking what we already do well and continuing to execute those strengths.”

This week, I encourage you to watch out for cognitive dissonance, hubris born of success, and chronic inconsistency. Now is the time to execute on our strengths. It will make a world of difference in a world that feels chaotic.

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

A Curious Affliction

As we move through the first month of 2014, it has become clear that we continue to live and work in a VUCA environment, borrowing a term from the US military. With so many things being volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous, we know we can neither predict nor govern most events. As Jim Collins and Morten Hansen pointed out in their book, Great By Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck - Why Some Thrive Despite Them All, HarperCollins, 2011, “Given this rise of complexity, globalization, and technology, all of which are accelerating change and increase volatility we must come to accept that there is no “new normal.” There will only be a continuous series of “not normal” times.”

As leaders, we have important choices to make given the current environment. We can freak out and create fear through out our organizations or we can build  “contextual intelligence,” namely the ability to accurately assess differences and similarities in perspectives about context across multiples sectors, and then translate this analysis into meaningful information for our circle of influence or organizations.  When we create clarity about context, we create improved clarity before, during, and after people implement and cope with change.  The result is an understanding of what and how to make change happen, but also an understanding of why it needs to take place. And it is the later than generates ownership of the action rather than simply effort to get the action done.

However, in many circles, we are witnessing leadership ADHD. One day “something new” is the savior of the month. Two weeks later, that “something new” is pronounced dead on arrival. Then, in two weeks or less “something new” is back in a “new and revised edition.”

To build contextual intelligence, Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen in the aforementioned book recommend the following: “10Xers [enterprises that beat their industry’s average by at least 10 times] 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.”

This week and this month, practice improving your capacity to zoom out and then zoom in. It will require tremendous discipline but at the same time it will yield better decisions and more thoughtful actions.

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

Recommended Readings

In the January-February 2014 issue of the Harvard Business Review, I found numerous articles worth reading.

First, I encourage those interested to read “What VUCA Really Means for You” by Nathan Bennett and G. James Lemoine. A two paragraph article with a dynamic diagram explaining how to prepare and think about working in a VUCA, i.e. volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous, environment.  For those executives thinking about 2018 and 2020, this is a great little article to read before communicating about the future. The diagram alone is worth the effort. Here is a link: http://hbr.org/2014/01/what-vuca-really-means-for-you/ar/1

Second, I thoroughly enjoyed reading “Building a Game-Changing Talent Strategy” by Douglas A. Ready, Linda A. Hill and Robert Thomas. Based on their research of BlackRock, the Tata Group and Envision, the authors found that these “three companies  demonstrate the essential attributes of a game-changing organization: They are driven by purpose, oriented toward performance, and guided by principles.”  However, in the process of conducting interviews with these three companies, the authors discovered a “fourth thread that weaves them even more tightly together: Each is supported by a game-changing talent strategy.” As they write, “those talent strategies balance four inherent tensions: They support both strategic and operational superiority; they are globally scaled yet locally relevant; they foster a collective culture yet enable high potentials to thrive as individuals; and their policies endure yet are agile and open to revitalization.” For those in the financial services industry in particular, this is a must read for 2014.  Others will find the content helpful and thought-provoking. Here is the link: http://hbr.org/2014/01/building-a-game-changing-talent-strategy/ar/1

Third, I was delighted to read “The Big Lie of Strategic Planning” by Roger L. Martin, who is the coauthor with A.G. Lafley of Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works (Harvard Busines sReview Press, 2013). This is a must-read article for all who are doing or planning to do strategic planning.  As he points out, “In an effort to get a handle on strategy, managers spend thousands of hours drawing up detailed plans that project revenue into the future. These plans may make managers feel good, but all too often they matter very little to performance.” What we as executives and leaders often forget is that “strategy making is uncomfortable; it’s about taking risks and facing the unknown. Unsurprisingly, managers try to turn it into a comfortable set of activities.” As I noted in this blog yesterday, the current result is a turn toward modest aspirations.  To help leaders reconcile with feeling uncomfortable during strategic planning, Martin recommends the following:

- “Keep it simple. Capture your strategy in a one-pager that addresses where you will play and how you will win.”

- “Don’t look for perfection. Strategy isn’t about finding answers. It’s about placing bets and shortening the odds.”

- “ Make the logic explicit. Be clear about what must change for you to achieve your strategic goal.”

A wonderful article and another great read for every senior team thinking about the future.  Here is the link: http://hbr.org/2014/01/the-big-lie-of-strategic-planning/ar/1

Happy reading!

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