Building and maintaining healthy relationships is the foundation to successful change.

Over and over, people visit with me about the world of change. They struggle with it. They feel overwhelmed by it. And they feel confused by it.

Some authors suggest we need to suck it up and just get on board with change. Others tell us to focus on the results and the metrics. Finally, there are some authors who tell us that change is the constant and that it is normal to struggle.

I have listened to all of it, and I have watched the rise and passing of many best-seller books about the subject. Each in their own way has offered interesting tools and perspectives about how to lead, manage and move through this complicated and complex world of change.

For me, I always come back to the following perspective: Make friends before you need them. After decades and decades of working with people and companies, I have come to the conclusion that when we as leaders and as people build and maintain healthy relationships with others, successful change takes place.

Successful does not mean it will not be hard and challenging. Successful does not mean it will be less complicated or complex. Successful means, in the end, that when people support each other in healthy ways, they have the capacity to rise to their challenges, process the difficulties, and ultimately make a difference in spite of their challenges.  

When we feel cared for, respected and supported, we realize that we are stronger than we thought. And when this happens within the context of a team, a family or a community, we can walk through the trough of chaos, a sideways cyclone, the valley of bewilderment, or a pit of despair and come out on the other side stronger and more determined than ever. 

Just remember that best-seller books come and they go. People, however, who build and maintain a circle of support and perspective around themselves plus have a guiding purpose, can be the constant in the world of change. They can be the difference that is needed in the world and in the lives of others.

This week, spend time building new and meaningful relationships with people. And take care of the relationships you already have. Then, when push becomes shove in the world of change, you will have all you need to make it through to the next opportunity.

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

The word “change” is the problem.

When coaching an executive who is struggling, I listen very carefully. In particular, I listen to understand how they are framing things up and how they are thinking through their challenges. Often the source of their struggles revolves around a singular problem, namely how they use the word “change.”

In some sentences, these individuals use the word “change” and they want something to get better or improve. Yet, in the same paragraph, they might also use the word “change” within the context of something being transformed, i.e. doing things differently. The challenge is understanding which definition of the word “change” is being referenced.

Routinely now, I coach executives to be very mindful when they use the word “change.” For some, I have even encouraged them to stop using the word all together. Instead, I want them to use the words “improve” or “transform”. The goal is to be clear about what they are trying to communicate because improving something and transforming something are not the same thing at all.

As you and your team move through the summer weeks, pause and be certain you are sending clear and concise messages around the subject of organizational change. Then, decide whether or not the word “change” is helpful. 

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

The Complexity of Change

Leaders love to talk about change. It is one of their favorite words. The minute a leader starts to use this word they become excited.

The difficulty with the word change is that most leaders assume the listener knows what they mean by it. During numerous executive coaching sessions, I have pointed out to countless leaders that saying the word change does not mean we understand what the definition is of the word change.

In the beginning, I point out that the word change really carries two different meanings. The first meaning of the word change is to start a process where by we as leaders want to improve something. For example, we could change something like a system, a process, or the structure of the company. The goal is to improve what already exists so that it is more effective or more efficient.

However, some leaders use the word change and what they are really trying to communicate is not improvement, but instead transformation. The goal is to create something new and different. In this case, they do not want to change, i.e. improve, a system, but would like to transform the current system into a new system.

So, in the lexicon of leadership, the first thing most leaders need to do is pause before they speak. They need to ask themselves the following questions: 

Am I asking this individual or group of people to do something better? 

Or am I asking them to do something different? 

Starting from this  point of clarity, leadership communication is always more effective.

When I coach people, I routinely encourage leaders and managers to not use the word change. Instead, I encourage them to use the words “improve” or “transform”. Then, the meaning of the word is clear from the beginning.

This week, pause before you start talking about change and make sure you know which definition of the word you are using. Then, be consistent as you move forward. Confusion never helps people change. 

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

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

Manage Endings and New Beginnings

I was surprised when they called and asked me to come and teach a workshop called "Coping With Chaos."

Being a small urban hospital in the central part of the United States, they had been achieving moderate success by expanding their services with new clinics to meet the needs of their aging community. They also had focused on becoming more user friendly with a higher level of patient/customer service.

"What happened?" I inquired.

"We are going through a very rough time," the head of HR replied. "We experienced a time period of low census, and some people in executive positions panicked due to the numbers. So we closed one wing of the hospital and merged the medical and surgery floors for a more efficient use of our resources. I hope you can come soon.”

Fortunately, my schedule had an opening, and I agreed to come.

The morning I arrived to teach, I was surprised to find only 18 floor nurses at the workshop. I was told that I would be seeing 20-30 supervisors and part of the management team, along with only a couple of floor staff. As the day progressed, however, management never showed up, and only one supervisor dropped in for 35 minutes over lunch.

About an hour or so into the workshop, the root of the problem surfaced. Many of the floor nurses had not been against closing the wing; they simply wished it had been done in a respectful manner. As one veteran nurse of 19 years put it, "I came on shift at 11:00 p.m. at night to find a sign posted on the door of the wing of the hospital. It read: ‘Closed. Report to Third South. If you have any questions, put them in writing to the Nursing Executive before 7 am.’ We knew that the census was low. We just wish we had been included in the decision-making process and treated with respect.

"It was obvious once it had happened, that management had been thinking about this change for quite some time before they did it. Around here, nothing moves particularly fast. Why couldn't they have provided us with advance warning, or asked us for our insights into formulating these changes? We would have helped, but this method of decision making doesn't exactly encourage trust and participation.”

As we progressed, many feelings came out that needed to be expressed. So I pushed my teaching notes aside, and we dove in. But it was during lunch that the real healing began.

"We know what is most important," one floor nurse began, "Our patients and their care. We are willing to work hard. We just ask for a little more support and kindness. I guess we will have to start by supporting each other." Through hugs, tears, and open sharing, they worked through the changes and moved on.

At the end of the day, I reported what had taken place during the workshop to the HR Director. Her response was: "I know that these are valid insights, but they won't change how we do things. We have to run a lean ship now that change is coming so fast."

While I could recognize the external factors that led to the decision, it was also clear to me that employees were giving their all to do the right thing for the patients. At the same time, they were being denied meaningful strategic level dialogue and input into decisions that had a direct effect on their work lives.

Remember: Leadership without strategic dialogue is demoralizing and will not transform challenges into achievements. When faced with significant challenges, leaders need to manage endings as well as new beginnings.

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

Change Is The Only Constant

Right now all across the country and around the globe, change has become the only constant, and people are reacting in a normal and dynamic manner. Thus, leaders at all levels need to routinely engage in more strategic level dialogues to create continuous clarity and focus. The challenge is that few people understand what is a strategic level dialogue and why it is important. 

In the beginning, think of a strategic level dialogue as a free flowing conversation about context, strategy and operational excellence. The goal is to help people improve their capacity to build, define, share and engage at a more strategic level. When they better understand the why and how elements rather than just the what to do next elements of their job, they can then make new and better strategic choices and transform those choices into consistent communication and action at both the strategic and operational levels.

Nevertheless, many leaders say they are too busy to spend time visiting with people. Now I know that many of them are getting caught in the trap that things are more important than people, but few recognize that the time spent visiting with people in a strategic level dialogue allows their colleagues and partners to better transform awareness and understanding into commitment and responsibility.

Still, I can hear someone in a management and supervisory position telling me that it would just be easier to simply tell people the strategy rather than  engage in a dialogue about it. Here, I refer them back to the work of James Belasco and Ralph Stayer from their book, Flight of the Buffalo: Soaring to Excellence, Learning to Let Employees Lead. As they wrote, "The primary purpose of strategic planning is not to strategically plan for the future, although that's an important purpose of the exercise.  It is primarily to develop the strategic management mind-set in each and every individual in the organization. The purpose of the process is not only to produce a plan. It is to produce a plan that will be owned and understood by the people who have to execute it."

We as leaders have to recognize that in many companies, there are dual operating systems, i.e. one for day to day business and one for the design and implementation of strategy. It is the second one that is focused on continual development and communication of strategy. This is the one that will create a strategic mindset, the unification of understanding about context, strategy and operational excellence. When this takes place, we have the potential for creating strategic ownership.

So, how do we actually do a strategic level dialogue? First, it can happen any time and any where. Over coffee or over a meal, the key is to start with some excellent questions like the ones I shared last week in this blog.

Once you have asked a question, listen carefully to the answers. As the late Stephen Covey reminded us, “seek first to understand and second to be understood.” Build a common ground and perspective, and remember to connect everything back to the strategic nexus the union of mission, vision, values and the strategic plan.

Given constant change is the new normal, now is the time to hold more strategic dialogues. Can you afford to have less clarity rather than more clarity in your organization at this time period?

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

The Moment of Commitment

Right now, many people have been pushed outside their comfort zone. There is no more ease, familiarity, or predictability in their world. Change is not the constant now. Transformation is the constant. And as a result, more and more people are experiencing massive amounts of uncomfortable chaos.

When we go to the dictionary and look up the definition of the word “chaos,” we discover a great answer. Chaos is defined as “the unorganized state of primordial matter before the creation of distinct forms.” But as one reads further, there is another definition, namely “the state of utter confusion.” This is the challenge right now for so many leaders. There is a high degree of ambiguity plus a phenomenal lack of clarity. It feels like everything is confusing and unorganized on too many levels.

So, the first step in situations of this nature is to create clarity. This starts when we as leaders define what is and is not over. We need to show that there is a line of continuity through the unorganized state of primordial matter. Effective leaders turn to the mission, vision and core values of their organization to find this line of clarity through the current and emerging challenges.

Second, we as leaders need to build commitment. This happens when we explain what are the internal and external drivers of change and transformation in our industry and our organization. Creating this depth of understanding takes time and consistent communication but the return of this investment is solid and helpful.

Third, we as leaders have to commit to moving forward in spite of all that is happening. As the German writer and statesmen Goethe wrote: “Until one is committed there is always hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.  Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising to one’s favor all manner of unforeseen accidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way.  

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.  Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. “

This week I hope you can rediscover the moment of commitment and then move forward with clarity and confidence.

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

Dealing With Continuous Change - part #1

In this economy, recruiting and retaining the right people, creating the right organizational structure, and building the right culture has become mission critical to implementing strategy throughout the organization. However many are struggling with the above because they have to do it in the midst of constant change.

Here are a few observations of why this is happening. First, many leaders are not managing the intensity of change. Right now, employees feel overwhelmed. Change just keeps coming and coming. And before one thing is finished we have to start all over again due to a variety of factors, like an upgrade in software or a change in regulations. At the same time, we also may need to start some new project given pressing demands by senior management, customers or employees. As I noted at the Fall 2014 From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable, change has shifted from being episodic to continuous even though we have continued to frame it up as episodic. While many frame change as a “one and done,” most recognize that organizational change is now dynamic and continuous now. It truly is the trough of chaos within a sideways cyclone.

Next, employees are emotionally exhausted by the amount of unknowns. The outcome of there being too many variables to process and too few people to share their feelings and thoughts with about them is a singular focus on operational compliance. Routinely now, I am seeing more and more leaders who just need time to think. Some have told me the structured unstructured time during executive coaching sessions where they can share, reflect and think is essential to their success right now.

At the same time, employees are afraid of change and even more afraid of transformation. While change is about doing things better, and transformation is about doing things new and different, many people are afraid of all of it, because it is messy and often involves loosing control. 

Furthermore, many leaders have lost their ability to inspire others. This is happening because employees have been offered false optimism with little realism in the past. They have been pushed without support. And they have seen their leaders act with little, if any, authenticity or genuine respect. 

This week reflect on these observations and make sure your natural impulses for control, order and predictability don’t shut people down who are dealing with continual change or transformation.

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

Managing the Intensity of Change

Currently, people in management and leadership positions are overwhelmed by change. It is happening at the strategic and the operational levels at the same time. And it keeps coming hard and fast with little time to finish one thing before another starts.

As I noted at the Fall 2014 From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable, change has shifted from being episodic to continuous even though we as leaders have continued to frame it up as episodic. Rather than thinking of organizational change as a “one and done,” we now need to focus on it being dynamic and continuous.

The result is that people are emotionally exhausted by the amount of unknowns. Every day, there are too many variables to process, and too few people to share one’s feelings and thoughts about it all. The upshot is that many are now focusing on operational compliance rather than strategic clarity.

When people are feeling overwhelmed and clearly feeling outside their comfort zones, I have taught for decades that leaders need to create a strong team, offer strategic perspective, and develop a safety zone so in-depth and thoughtful strategic level dialogue can take place. The challenge is that most leaders are too busy to take the time to reflect, and think and engage with others in constructive strategic dialogue.

The solution to this situation is to sign up for the Spring 2015 From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable. Here, you will discover a fine group of dedicated leaders who are more than willing to step back from the day to day intensity and engage with you in thoughtful and meaningful dialogue about what is and what is not working. Consider it your personal think tank where creative and effective ideas and solutions are explored and developed.

Now is the time to register yourself and your team for this powerful learning opportunity. Here is the agenda for your review:

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

8:30 am - Registration

9:00 am - 10:15 am - How do leaders deal with continuous strategic and operational changes at the same time?

10:15 am - 10:30 am - Break

10:30 am - 12:00 pm - How do leaders create a mission driven, core-value led culture?

12:00 pm - 1:30 pm - Lunch and Networking 

1:30 pm - 2:45 pm - How do leaders distinguish between when to build teams and when to build single-leader work groups?

2:45 pm - 3:00 pm - Break

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm - How do leaders hold people accountable?

4:30 pm - Adjourn

Thursday, April 9, 2015

9:00 am - 10:15 am - How does one lead with executive presence?

10:15 am - 10:30 am - Break 

10:30 am - 12:00 pm - Integration and Application

12:00 pm - Adjourn

Location: Courtyard in West Des Moines/Clive, Iowa.

And here is the link to the registration form:

http://www.chartyourpath.com/pdf/2015-From-Vision-To-Action-Exec-Roundtable-Regist.pdf

I look forward to your participation as we all learn new and better ways to manage the intensity of change.

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

Chaos: Learn to live with uncertainties

Over twenty-seven years ago, I was speaking in Iowa City, Iowa before a group of women business owners when one of the participants came up to me at the end of the evening seminar and said, “When you are ready, I want to publish your first book.” I was completely stunned and really did not know what to say other than “thank-you.” I had never even considered the idea before.

About eight weeks later, I showed her a manuscript for a book called Listen to The Heart: The Transformational Pathway to Health and Wellness. After a period of editing, the book was published in 1988 and I began to share it with people attending my different seminars. Soon, the initial run was completely sold out, much to my surprise and to the delight of the publisher.

So, I sat down and completely rewrote the book. I finished the revised and expanded second edition in October 1990.  I realized recently that 2015 is the 25th anniversary of the second edition. So, in celebration of this milestone, I decided to share a series of essays from the book with all of you during January. Here is the first one called “Chaos: Learn to live with uncertainties.”

I believe that most of us struggle with inner and outer changes, and that this is a natural process. For many, it is not easy to give up the old and to wholly welcome the new. The old way of thinking and acting has been a pattern of survival that has helped us out in many ways and through many uncomfortable or difficult situations. Nevertheless, as we begin to walk a new pathway to clearer levels of health and wellness, we often struggle with large amounts of uncertainty and what appear to be inner and outer levels of chaos. We all would like the pathway to be a four-lane highway with clear signs about upcoming events and appropriate choices of when to exit or how fast to travel onward. Still, more often than not it is a very thin trail and one must take each step carefully.

I remember such a hiking trail in the Green Mountains of Vermont. Called the “Eclectic Trail,” it paralleled a rolling and bubbling stream. I do not think the trail was or had ever been formally blazed through the woods. There are a few simple points of reference when walking this trail and they are these: 1) Going up hill, keep the stream on your left. 2) going downhill, keep the stream on your right. 3) Most important, do not walk too close to the stream’s edge because of unstable, very dangerous, cliffs. Parts of the Eclectic Trail are very obvious by the well-worn pathway, but there are sections at the beginning and near the end where it is more like a consensus exploration for a common thread with everyone heading downhill or uphill. I have specific memories of leading groups down this trail, wandering amongst the pine trees and hardwoods in search of the pathway. We knew the correct direction, but heaven only knew if we were on the correct path. 

In learning to live with chaos, I came across a scientific law called “Prigogine’s law of dissipative structures.” Simply stated, the law says that the world evolves through change - stability is not balance but change. When we come to small and large transitions where we must blend our values and actions in new ways, we need to recognize that chaos is not the enemy but the friend of this process. The more we want everything to be balanced and in harmony, the less ready we are going to be to flow to the next level of understanding and growth. While I like to have stability in my life, I am not completely thrown off balance by times of transition that feel like chaos. My life experiences tend to be in accord with the fact that world evolves through change, and that change is a form of stability. As we come to accept this idea, our pathway to greater levels of health and wellness, though not always clear, is nevertheless educational. 

During the first, and only, fall I lived in Vermont, everyone talked about the hardships of winter, especially for those in isolated valleys like the one where I was living and working. At the time, I was part of a team of people teaching and learning homesteading skills, and the change of the seasons was very important because we needed to be prepared for all kinds of weather and all kinds of situations. As the days got colder and the leaves on the sugar maples turned red and fell, I began to worry about the impending “bad Vermont winter.” The old-timers in the area said that the caterpillars had thicker bands on them than normal so this was going to be the “worst winter in years.” I began dreading the arrival of winter. I looked at the sky every morning as I trudged out to the barns to care for the animals and milk the cows. Every day I inspected the local flora for signs of winter. Waiting and waiting, I became more and more worried about when winter would arrive because I was sure the homesteading crew would be caught unprepared. Like a good Boy Scout, I ranted and raved to the other team members that we must “be prepared,” and the sooner the better. My inner chaos, my worries, were based upon fear and the dread of winter.

Finally, one cold blue morning in late November as I hiked up the hill from my cabin to the barns, I saw the first clear sign of winter. On the high ridge, behind the farmhouse were we had community meals, was a large grove of pine trees. During the night a hoarfrost had covered the entire top half of the ridge with a glaze of ice. Each tree appeared to have been dipped in frosting. As I returned from the barn with two buckets of steaming milk, the sun came out and the ridge top was a sparkle of ice. All my inner, crazy worry was gone in an instant and I was at peace; winter had come to the valley. That day was no different from the previous ones and no different from the coming ones; we always had work to do. Yes, that was a cold winter and I did see more snow and ice than I had before in my life, but the outer world was not in chaos. I had created the inner chaos, and the outer world reflected this inner world. The transition from one season to the next was gradual and the arrival of winter that I feared was going to be a big problem was not really bad at all.

We need to learn to understand how inner feelings can become centered upon a fear of chaos, and we need to be open and receptive to change. We need to remember that we will not always know the correct pathway, but that we often have to trust we are headed in the right direction. The Eclectic Trail, with its clear and unclear parts, was not an easy trail. But it was a constant source of beauty and change. At the bottom of the trail where it merged with a local gravel road, there was a clear-cut pathway through hip high ferns. This was a very calm and still place in the woods. It always felt like we had entered a church, and everyone’s voice dropped. We have to cultivate the peaceful spirit that resides in this kind of place in our inner hearts when we are moving along our pathway to health and wellness. Chaos may scare us but it does not have to overwhelm us. All we need to do is continue our present direction and trust the pathway will open up before us. Chaos is the natural process of change. 

For more information about the book, Listen to the Heart, please click on the following link:  http://www.chartyourpath.com/Listen-to-the-Heart.html

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

The Need for Bold & Wise Leadership

Julius Caesar described how he handled an unexpected, simultaneous attack by the Nervii, a Celtic-German tribe living in the north of Gaul/Belgium at the time of the Roman empire, at three different points on his flanks, while part of his troops were crossing a river and another part was setting up camp, with the following statement: Omnia uno tempore agenda  - “everything had to be done at once.”

Every day now, I hear from executives and managers who are struggling with the endless levels of change that are place in their industry and in their work place. They feel like everything is happening at once and that everything has to be solved at once.

These same leaders also feel like they are constantly working at the edge of chaos. Most days they can barely keep things manageable and under control. More often than not, they also feel very alone.

Bernadine Healy, former Director of the National Institutes of Health, wrote: “Whenever you face a steepening slope of change, that’s when you need bold leadership. When premises are being challenged, that’s when you need wise leadership.”

Right now we need bold and wise leadership to guide us through these difficult times.  We also need to be surrounded by people who comprehend the magnitude of the challenges before us and also understand the personal and professional difficulties of being an executive and a leader.

This is where the From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable fits into the puzzle. Twice a year, leaders from a wide variety of organizations come together to explore their challenges, their solutions and the insights of others.  It is a place for in-depth listening and sharing, a time to step back from daily operational pressures and to comprehend the large and more strategic implications of all that is happening around us. As previous participants have shared with me, the Roundtable is a place where I can pause, and catch my breath given the pace of change and think.

The next From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable is on September 19 - 20, 2013 at

the Coralville Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Coralville, Iowa. Here is the agena for your review:

Thursday: September 19, 2013

8:30 am - Registration

9:00 am - 10:15 am - When Change is the Only Constant

10:15 am - 10:30 am - Break

10:30 am - 12:00 pm - Focusing on Collaboration Rather than Heroics

12:00 pm - 1:30 pm - Lunch and Networking 

1:30 pm - 2:45 pm - Building and Maintaining Healthy Work Relationships

2:45 pm - 3:00 pm - Break

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm - Finding the Right Match Between Talent & Outcomes

4:30 pm - Adjourn

Friday: September 20, 2013

9:00 am - 10:15 am - Adapting to Complexity

10:15 am - 10:30 am - Break 

10:30 am - 12:00 pm - Integration and Application

12:00 pm - Adjourn

If you would like to sign-up and participate in the Fall 2013 From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable, please click on the following link:

http://www.chartyourpath.com/pdf/2013-From-Vision-To-Action-Exec-Roundtable-Regist.pdf

Once you have filled out the registration form, you can fax it to me at # 319 - 643 - 2185 or mail it to me.

For those of you who are wanting to read something in advance of the Fall 2013 Roundtable, I suggest the following resources:

- Howe, Geery. Developing a New Organizational Culture - second edition, (From Vision to Action booklet, 2013).

 - Katzenbach, by Jon R. and, Ilona Steffen and Caroline Kronley,“Cultural Change That Sticks”, Harvard Business Review, July-August 2012.

- Lafley, A.G., and Roger Martin. Playing To Win: How Strategy Really Works.Harvard Business Review Press, 2013

- Simons, Robert. “Stress-Test Your Strategy: The 7 Questions to Ask,” Harvard Business Review, November 2010.

- Tichy, Noel M., and Warren Bennis. “Making Judgment Calls: The Ultimate Act of Leadership”, Harvard Business Review, October 2007. 

Happy reading, and I look forward to seeing in September!

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

Change And Resistance

Like peanut butter and jelly, or mac and cheese, change and resistance often go hand in hand. For many young leaders, encountering resistance is very difficult. Some freak out and others loose perspective. What they don’t know is that many older and more experienced leaders have the same reaction.

In the beginning, we all need to realize three important truths about resistance. First, people do not actually resist change. What they resist is the loss of control and confidence. They also are reacting to is the pain that will come with change

Second, when discussing change, we should expect resistance. As Jeffery D. Ford and Laurie W. Ford in their article called ““Decoding Resistance to Change,” Harvard Business Review, April 2009, note, “Resistance is, in fact, a form of feedback, often provided by people who know more about day-to-day operations than you do.... Dismissing the feedback deprives you of potentially valuable information, costs you goodwill, and jeopardizes important relationships.” Remember it is just feedback.

Third, don’t take resistance personally. Someone in your position on the organizational chart has to communicate the change. If it is you, learn to let people challenge your ideas and perspective. Support people and respect their perspective. Remember as I pointed out last week on this blog, “they don’t know what they don’t know.” Frequently people resist change because no has pointed out that not changing is more dangerous than changing.

Over time and with good support, all of us can learn to handle change and resistance. It just takes some willingness to listen and be respectful.

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

A Long Term Perspective

In April/May 1997 issue of Fast Company magazine, Charles Fishman wrote an article called “Change,” where he shared his “10 Laws of Change.” They are as follows:

1. Change begins and ends with the business - not with change.

2. Change is about people. People will surprise you.

3. There is information in opposition.

4. The informal network is as powerful as the formal chain of command. And you get to design your informal network.

5. You can’t draft people into change. They have to enroll.

6. It’s not a calling. It’s a job.

7. Forget balance. Create tension.

8. No change agent ever succeeded by dying for his [or her] company.

9. You can’t change the company without changing yourself.

10. Even if the company doesn’t change, you will.

In the mid to late 90’s, this was progressive thinking, challenging many to reconsider what they were doing and how they were leading. At the time, most leaders recognized they could not make change happen successfully or sustain the changes they wanted once they were initiated. Fishman’s perspective was eye opening and insightful.

Fourteen years later, most of the above “laws” have been blended into the work of numerous books and articles. On one level, the ideas seem old school and slightly dated. But upon further examination, they can be helpful reminders given the turbulence of the current economy.

As I have the opportunity to work with more and more young leaders, I am realizing that fewer and fewer of them have been exposed to the fundamentals of leadership and change. What for me and many senior leaders are self-evident truths are for these young leaders mind blowing new perspectives. For example, Fishman’s insight, “You can’t draft people into change. They have to enroll.”, is all new material for many young leaders. They have never heard this before and no one shared this with them when they got started. The concept of creating an environment where people want to enroll in change helps them to understand why certain changes have failed in the past and why certain leaders have chosen to go leading change in the manner they are doing it. At the same time, Fishman’s observation, “There is information in opposition.” also shifts the perspective of young leaders and helps them to comprehend that resistance is more about loss than change.

I share Fishman’s 10 Laws of Change here today for three reasons. First, I think we need to proactively use them as we teach young people to lead and deal with change related issues. Second, I think there is value in returning to the fundamentals and reviewing them from time to time. Often, for me, I rediscover a fresh way of explaining a key concept. Third, at times we can get a bit rusty or stuck in our ways. We become unconscious leaders and forget the basics as we push for speed with limited bandwidth to reflect.

This week and this month, I encourage all of us to review the above list and to share it with others. Clearly, it can be a spring board for sound and in-depth strategic dialogue.

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

Create Leaders Before You Need Them

Summer is a time to ponder the future.

It is a time to think beyond today’s challenges and to reflect on what the world will be like over the next two to three years. It is a time to ask such questions as “What will our customers expect of us in the future that they are not getting right now?” Or “How will the world be different and what impact will it have on our company?” Finally, “What new products or technology could potentially surface in the next 24 months that would significantly threaten the way we do business?”

Rest assured the world will change.

Customers will have new needs and new expectations. Generational differences will continue to emerge. The way we do business today will not be the way we do business in the future. The critical issue for us this summer is to determine whether or not we will be prepared and have the capacity to execute effectively given all of these possibilities.

Summer also is a time to think about leadership.

We all know we will need the right people on the right seats on the bus, referencing Jim Collin’s book, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap. . . and Others Don't. HarperBusiness, 2001. We also know we will need to occasionally help the right people change to a new seat on the bus that better meets the needs of the company and the individual. Sometimes we may even need to stop the bus so the wrong people can get off. But from my perspective, this summer we must begin thinking about how to develop the right people so we can have better capacity on the bus.

This summer we need to create more leaders before we need them.

These individuals need to have a strategic mindset and understand the importance of mission, vision and core values. They need to know how successful companies work on the operational and strategic levels. They need to value alignment, understand strategic change, and effectively coach people and groom talent.

We also need to be better leaders ourselves.

Kevin Cashman in his book, Leadership From The Inside Out: Becoming a Leader for Life, Berrett-Koehler, 2008, shares research on poor interpersonal skills done by the Saratoga Institute who interviewed 19,700 exiting employees and their bosses. They discovered that 85% of bosses said that former employees left for more compensation and opportunity. However, 80% of the exiting employees said they left because of poor relationships, poor development and poor coaching from their boss. Making the time to build healthier work relationships plus improve development and coaching will have a major impact on the recruitment and retention of key people, today and in the future.

So, starting today, we need to plan ahead and think who should be groomed for the future.

One way to do this is to map out who will be participating in the 2012 From Vision to Action Leadership Training ( http://www.chartyourpath.com/VTA-Training-Details.html ) and the Fall 2011 From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable (http://www.chartyourpath.com/pdf/2011-From-Vision-To-Action-Exec-Roundtable-Regist.pdf). When you are ready, e-mail me today and reserve a spot for yourself and your key people.

It is never too early to plan for the future. As we all know, it will be different than today.

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

Recommended Reading and Viewing

“Whom the gods wish to destroy, they send 40 years of success” - an old proverb

Recently, I have been thinking about this old proverb which I read many years ago in a book. Too many times, as people and organizations become successful, they limit the scope of what they are learning and instead focus more on doing the same thing repeatedly. Over time, they become blind to their surroundings and blind to the problems that are surfacing internally. They tell themselves that what has worked in the past will continue to work in the future. Perfection and doing becomes more important than progress and learning.

For those of us who want sustainable success, there are many opportunities to gain new perspectives and insights this spring. Here is a sampling of some excellent reading and on-line videos that I have discovered and enjoyed recently.

First, there is an wonderful article in the May 2011 issue of the Harvard Business Review called “Being More Productive” which is an interview of David Allen, author of Getting Things Done and Tony Schwartz, author of The Power of Full Engagement and Be Excellent at Anything. Both authors have been discussed at past From Vision to Action Executive Roundtables so I was delighted to read this interview of them. Given both authors are two of the world’s foremost authorities on increasing personal efficiency, it was great to read this edited conversation with the HBR, particular the way they discuss their own approaches and what they’ve learned from each other’s work.

As the article explains, “Allen has developed a system of time management that encourages workers to regularly make to-do lists - and helps them blast through the items on them. Breaking down big tasks into smaller “next actions” can help people stay focused and productive, he argues, and multi-tasking is avoided at all costs.”

Schwartz, on the other hand, “focuses on workers’ attitudes and how organizations can help them achieve a mental state that keeps their energy high. People should work for 90 minutes and then take a break to recover...”

Overall, it is a good article. Here is a link to the on-line version: http://hbr.org//2011/05/being-more-productive/ar/1

Second, I enjoyed a great on-line article called “Leadership begins with an inner journey” by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, authors of numerous books including, A Leader’s Legacy. Jossey-Bass, 2006, from the Spring 2011 issue of Leader To Leader magazine published by the Leader to Leader Institute. The title of this article says it all and the article is marvelous and thought-provoking. Here is the link and happy reading: http://www.leadertoleader.org/knowledgecenter/journal.aspx?ArticleID=864

Third, for those of you who are fans of the work of John Kotter and his 8 Step model of organizational change, I encourage you to check out his blog at the Forbes magazine web site. Here is the link: http://blogs.forbes.com/johnkotter/. His April 27th entry called “The Biggest Mistake I see: Strategy First, Urgency Second” is well worth the time to read and discuss with your team. There even is a video post if you would like to hear him speak!

Fourth, there is a great video post called “How Top CEOs Cope with Constant Change” on the Harvard Business Review website of an interview with Justin Menkes, author of Better Under Pressure, about how today’s leaders need realistic optimism, subservience to purpose and the ability to find order in chaos. If you are not a CEO, it is still worth the time to watch this video post. Good thinking about a very important topic.

Finally, on Jim Collin’s website is a delightful video post about the concept of “Preserve the Core - Stimulate Progress” from his first book that he co-authored with Jerry Porras called Built To Last. If you have not heard him speak, this is a great way to learn his material. Click on the following link and you will find multiple video and audio options for your review: http://www.jimcollins.com/media_topics/all.html

Enjoy the above learning opportunities and keep seeking a sustainable definition of success.

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