Now Is The Time To Create More Clarity

As everyone has gotten busier and busier trying to figure out what to do next in the middle of this on-going pandemic, there have been moments when leaders have fallen into the habit of just wanting to get things done, and not remembering that a big part of their work as a leader is to create clarity and to minimize confusion. 

Historically, the focus on creating organizational clarity has revolved around the work of Patrick Lencioni in his excellent book called, The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive (Jossey-Bass, 2000). Lencioni encourages leaders to create clarity by explaining “why the organization exists” and “which behavioral values are fundamental.” He also wants leaders to define what the company "plans to achieve” and “who is responsible for what” within the plan. During complicated and complex times, these fundamentals are very important, but I don’t think they are enough given the unique times within which we are living.

This morning, I think we need to expand the concept of creating clarity to include the work of Brene’ Brown in her powerful book called Dare To Lead: Brave Work, Tough Conversations, Whole Hearts (Random House, 2018). As Brown explains, “The true underlying obstacle to brave leadership is how we respond to our fear.” As an executive coach working with leaders during the last 60 days, I have listened to people who have been worried, afraid and deeply concerned by all that is happening in their organizations, their families and society in general. Their concerns are valid and I am honored that they are willing to share them with me.

I also have listened to leaders who have transformed their fear into courage. As Brown writes, “Courage is contagious. To scale daring leadership and build courage in teams and organizations, we have to cultivate a culture in which brave work, tough conversations, and whole hearts are the expectation, and armor is not necessary or rewarded.” One powerful way to being courageous, notes Brown, is to regularly show that you care for and are staying connected to the people that you lead.

The second step to creating clarity and being courageous as a leader, notes Brown, is to “get clear on whose opinions of you matter.” Everyone right now has an opinion and many are quite vocal about what should or should not be happening, especially when it comes to the subject of dealing with COVID-19. As a result, leaders can feel bombarded and under attack. In order to remain clear and in order to create clarity, leaders must be very thoughtful about whose opinions and professional judgements matter. As leaders, we will not make everyone happy with our decisions but we still must make thoughtful decisions based on as much accurate and timely information that we can gather. And within that gathering process, the source of the information is as important as the content of the information.

Next, Brown encourages leaders to set boundaries. In particular, she writes “… setting boundaries is making clear what’s okay and what’s not okay, and why.” At times, I have observed leaders informing their team or their company about what is okay and not okay when it comes to key behavioral norms, but they have not stated why. I believe it is the why element that makes the setting of boundaries effective over time.

Finally, we must remember as leader this short phrase by Brene’ Brown: “Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.” Given all that we have experienced during the last 60 days, we need more kindness. Creating clarity is foundational to our being able to thrive on the other side of this global pandemic. 

So, starting today, remember to be kind, respectful and compassionate with each person you meet at work and at home. The only way through the next 90 days is to create more clarity and to act from a place of clarity. We are all in this together and clarity will help us move forward together.

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

Clarity begins with understanding the meaning and purpose of the work.

Creating organizational clarity is a major part of every leader’s job. When working with an executive who is struggling, I routinely spend time exploring the subject of clarity. This exploration into clarity often involves discussing their answers to such important questions as “What is the strategic direction of the organization?” or “What should never change about the company as it responds to all of the changes that are taking place within society and it’s industry?” Many struggling executives believe that the answers to the these questions are based on providing an encyclopedia of information. They think the volume of content is the source of clarity.

I, on the other hand, always point out that the first step to clarity is to understand the purpose of the work. Without meaning, work just becomes one more thing to get done. Purpose-driven people and organizations always frame up WHAT they are doing by a clear definition of WHY they are doing it.

When it comes down to it, clarity begins and ends with clarity of purpose. And until we can give an answer that is clear and concise at this level, clarity will always be an elusive concept.

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

What Do Successful Cultural Leaders Actually Do? - Part #1

We were sitting in a crowded coffee shop, and all around us were people on cell phones, lap tops, and iPads. There were small groups of people talking. And there were some people talking with people not in the room or humming to their music that the rest of us could not hear.

I was there to visit with the COO and one of the COO’s direct reports to check on clarity and alignment. Over the course of our time together, I asked questions related to role and responsibility clarity, expectation clarity, goal clarity, and KPI clarity. I also checked on team development, prioritization of operational details, whether or not they had set planned short term wins, and cascading message clarity that was in alignment with the COO’s core message for the quarter.

It was an illuminating 2 hours, energizing for the person I was coaching and very helpful for the COO too. Both remarked that they felt better prepared for the next 12 - 18 months ahead.

Upon reflection on my drive home, I realized that successful cultural leaders focus in three areas. Ken Blanchard and Michael O’Connor in their book, Managing By Values (Berrett-Koehler, 1997), think of it as a three act play.

In Act I, the focus is on the word, achieve, i.e. to set goals beyond day-to-day survival. They call this being-by-doing.

In Act II, the focus is on the word, connect. This is all about relationships, namely being-by-being.

In Act III, the focus is on the word, integrate, which is all about bringing the first two acts together. For them, this is about being-by-becoming

When I think of the best cultural leaders I have met, they are achievement focused on one level and do set goals beyond day-to-day survival.  However, they also do two more important things.

First, they align their daily actions with the company’s core values. They understand as Blanchard and O’Connor point out that to manage by values takes two things being in place: the willingness to believe in an agreed-upon set of values and continuous diligence in putting those values into action. As they write, “In a company that manages by its values, there is only one boss, the company’s values.”

Second, they continually try to get better at what they are currently doing and at new things. Under the improvement section here, a leader may need to ask the following questions when working with staff:

- do we have a shared vision?

- how are we defining the problems and solving them?

- are we committed to continual improvement?

Finally, these same cultural leaders recognize that there is a profound and important difference between supervision and coaching. For them, supervision means to observe, direct or oversee in the execution of a task, project or activity. Coaching, on the other hand, is a structured dialogue and development process to improve the professional competence to execute.

This week, what are you going to do as a leader to improve your capacity to help others to achieve their goals? Asking the aforementioned questions is a good start.

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

How Do Leaders Build Cultural Clarity And Alignment? - Part #2

Some days we get so busy solving problems as leaders and managers that we forget that most people will shift their thinking only after new behaviors have led to results that matter to them and have been validated by others. The best leaders understand this and recognize that building cultural clarity and alignment is playing the long game. As Jon Katzenbach, Ilona Steffen and Caroline Kronley in their article,“Cultural Change That Sticks,” Harvard Business Review, July-August 2012, note “deeply embedded cultures change slowly over time.” We have to be patient then with this level of work.

Still, I have seen alignment take place over the course of my career. In these organizations, leaders make some unique choices. First, results matter within these organizations, i.e. qualitatively and quantitatively at all levels of the organization, not just at the senior team level. You can visit with front line staff or the senior most people and all of them are talking about outcomes and results. 

Second, there is “line of sight” within these organizations. My daily actions and my quarterly goals all connect with the current strategic plan and with the overall mission. Here, alignment is defined as shared beliefs and shared behaviors which achieve a collective goal, outcome, or result. It is not a vague  idea but instead is an executable reality and choice.

Next, the leaders of these companies agree with John Doerr in his book, Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs (Portfolio, 2018) when he writes: “Healthy culture and structured goal setting are interdependent. They’re natural partners in the quest for operating excellence.”

From my perspective, there also is one more small but important difference in these organizations, namely there is a clear difference by all involved about what are committed goals, i.e. ones tied to metrics and well defined action plans, and aspirational goals, which reflect big picture, higher-risk, more future-tilting ideas and efforts.

This week, I encourage you to sit down with your team and discuss the following two questions: Do we know the difference between committed goals and aspirational goals as a group? Are we clear about who is working on which ones? This level of dialogue and the resulting clarity will make a big difference this coming summer.

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

Know When It Is Time To Leave

Over the course of my career, I have visited with people in a wide diversity of office spaces. Some of them have been the size of a match box and others have been so big you could play a basketball game inside it and still have room for a couple of bleachers.  Some have been opulent and others have been quite humble. What ever the style of the office space, the focus for me has always been the person.

A couple of decades ago, I sat down to visit with the COO of a very large company who had just announced his retirement. During our time together, we talked about the nexus of culture and strategy. We explored how key systems needed to be upgraded as the expectations of the customers changed. We even discussed how the structure of the company may be the problem for why the company was not growing at a robust clip.

Just before we wrapped up our time together, I asked him one more question, “How did you know it was time to retire?”

He reflected for a couple of moments and then replied, “I knew it was time for me to retire and for someone else to sit in this chair when I realized that the things outside the window of this office were starting to interest me more that what was happening inside this office. I knew then that I did not want to give my team and this company anything less than 100% effort. 

So, I talked with my wife and decided to retire. The people who I work with deserve my best every day. If I am giving less than this and am more interested in what is happening outside this office, be that grandchildren, travel, golf or just wanting to sit with a a good cup of coffee and read the paper in the morning, then I needed to move on.

We are a good organization. There are many qualified and well trained people who can do this job. I am not worried. We have done good things on my watch and we have made a difference. It is now time for someone else to step up and rise to the challenges before us.”

We shook hands and each of went on to our next meeting. And right then and there, I realized I had been given an important truth. I have carried it for many years. One day, it will be time for me to retire and to let others carry the torch moving forward.

This week, be mindful of your life journey. If it is time for you to move on, then do it with grace and clarity. There is a big world out there waiting to be explored.

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

Embrace Your Challenges

Last week, I shared that great leaders accept their path in the world of leadership, and keep moving forward. In essence, they own it. They recognize that “this is mine to do.” 

Upon further reflection, I think that great leaders not only own the path and keep moving forward but they also embrace their challenges. As Marcus Aurelius wrote so very long ago, “Our actions may be impeded . . . but there can be no impeding our intentions or dispositions. Because we can accommodate and adapt. The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”

As leaders, we recognize that our work involves, people, structure, systems and culture. We explore mission, vision and values. We spend hours working on strategy, brand identity, and understanding the strategic landscape. 

And yet, the result of all this work is that we will continue to experience obstacles and challenges. They do not go away. They just keep coming. People, including ourselves if we are honest, feel frustrated, overwhelmed, anger and even confusion by this. But in the end, we, who sit in the leadership chair, have to make decisions and keep moving forward.

Here is where the great leaders do something unique. They understand what Andy Grove, former CEO of INTEL, meant when he wrote, “Bad companies are destroyed by crisis. Good companies survive them. Great companies are improved by them.”

Ryan Holiday in his wonderful book, The Obstacle Is The Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph, Penguin, 2014, writes “It’s a huge step forward to realize that the worst thing to happen is never the event, but the event and losing your head.” Great leaders embrace the difficult challenges before them and do not loose their head. As Holiday continues, “See things for what they are. Do what we can. Endure and bear what we must.”

As the Haitian proverb states, “Behind mountains are more mountains.” There will be more problems in the future. This is normal in the world of leadership. However, our choice to persevere through them is what separates the great leaders from the good leaders.

This week, embrace the challenges you have. Work with others to solve them. Then, learn from them. But, in the end, always keep moving forward with commitment, clarity and integrity. This is the path to being a great leader.

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

Deer In The Headlights

I live in rural America. Seeing deer is common. Some people think they are cute and others think they are nothing but a problem. What ever your point of view, the last place you want to see deer is in your headlights when you are driving home after a long day at work. The result is that you freak out. They freak out. And it is highly likely that some one or some thing is going to have a very bad day.

During interesting times and in the trough of chaos, people can at times act like deer in the proverbial headlights. They are overwhelmed by all that is happening around them. They are not sure where to go next. They finally bolt and often run into everything that they are trying to avoid, causing problems upon problems for all involved.

But what can leaders do about this?

First, leaders need to recognize that most employees just want to come to work and do their job. And at the end of the day, they want to feel like they have made progress and gotten recognition for a job well done. Most employees are focused on getting stuff done.

Leaders on the other hand are often focused on big questions and the future. They assume the day to day is getting done and hopefully done well. They, on the other hand, are trying to figure out if the business model is sustainable, are the resources arriving at the right times and are we really meeting the needs and expectations of the customers. In essence, they are big picture focused.

Then, after hours of this level of thought and reflection, these strategic leaders meet tactical employees and share. They talk about strategy, trends, the future markets, growth of the company and often the numbers. This broader context is perfectly clear to these leaders.

But for the day to day employees, this is all new territory. They are not aware of the big picture. They zoom in to solve daily problems rather than zoom out to look at the strategic intent of the company. So, when they finally move from being unaware of the bigger picture to being aware of the bigger picture, they naturally become overwhelmed. They start asking powerful questions like “Do I still have a job?” or “Is the company going under and I need to get out now?” This lack of big picture focus is not their fault. It is just not their focus on a daily basis.

The upshot of all of this leader and employee interactions during interesting times and a trough of chaos is deer-in-the-headlights behaviors. It’s normal. It’s what all of us do when we are overwhelmed and can not process what is happening around us. In simple terms, we fight, run away or just stand there in shock. And then someone is going to have a very bad day.

However, I have observed fantastic leaders who avoid this normal stage of the trough of chaos. First, they do not do a big picture data dump on employees. Instead these leaders focus on creating focus and clarity. Second, through routine strategic level dialogues, they explain what is and is not going to change so people understand that there is a line of continuity through all that is happening. And finally, they help all involve understand what are the priorities each quarter. Again, they create focus and clarity over panic and fear. The result is fewer deer-in-the-headlights moments, and more people who come together to solve tactical and strategic level problems.

This week, remember that the deer-in-the-headlights response is normal. We all are doing the best we can with the information we have. And remember to create clarity. When we focus on purpose over fear, people will make the right things happen every time.

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

Answering The Big Questions

I spend a lot of time in conference rooms sitting around tables visiting with people in leadership positions. Some of the rooms are over the top amazing with all of the latest gadgets and hardware plus an amazing view of the sky line from the top floor of the corporate tower. Others are quite simple - a table and some chairs.

During these many hours of listening, exploring and sharing, there always comes a point when someone is going to ask one of the big questions.

- Where are we going with all of this?

- How are we going to get there?

- What’s it going to look like when we get there?

- How will we measure progress?

- Why is this so important that we have to stop doing what we are currently doing and start doing this?

Some leaders stiffen when asked these question. They want their staff or team to just blindly follow them where ever they are going. Others are highly defensive and go into attack mode to deal with those who asked the question. And unfortunately, some go into high academic mode and give an answer that is so confusing and so convoluted that in the end no one understands anything. They are just blinded by the blizzard of words and give up. In short, the leader is frustrated and the follower is miserable. Another lousy day in the office has taken place.

During interesting times and during an extended trough of chaos, asking questions is normal. People are confused. People are seeking clarity. People want to understand so they can make the right choices and be successful.

We forget some days as leaders that all employees want to do well in their job. They want to make a difference and know that their time and energy is not being wasted. They want to work within the context of a supportive work community and on a healthy team. Our role as leaders is to create that healthy work environment within the company so that no matter what is happening outside the company people feel like they are respected and valued within the company. When this happens, people rise to the challenges before them. They think creatively both at the tactical and strategic levels.

This week, recognize that the big questions are just questions. They are not an attack on you, but instead an inquiry and a pathway to clarity. So, sit down this week with a pad of paper or a blank computer screen and come up with some thoughtful answers before you are asked. Bounce these answers off people you respect to make sure they are clear and to the point. And then treat the person asking the questions with dignity. We may live in interesting times and be working through lots of chaos, but we do not need to be rude or disrespectful in our answers. Instead, we need to embrace the old Boy Scout and “Be Prepared.” It will make a world of difference in the conference room and through out the company.

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

How do leaders help others think and act strategically? part #1

It was a lunch meeting with the CEO and 2 VP’s around a small table at a busy restaurant The VP to my left wanted to talk about performance reviews and organizational clarity. The VP to my right asked the following question: “What are the questions you ask people to make sure people are clear?”

Here are the questions I gave him:

- What do you do at (name of organization)? This checks role clarity.

- What are your priorities? This checks goal clarity.

- What do you do that matters most? This checks mission clarity.

- Why is this important work to do? This checks strategic clarity.

Then, we entered into a discussion about how to help people transform chaos into a challenge.

One of our great challenges as leaders is to get people to think and act strategically. First, according to Aaron Olson and B. Keith Simerson in their book, Leading With Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results (Wiley, 2015), strategic thinking comprises three activities, namely assessing situations, recognizing patterns, and making decisions. Others define strategic thinking as the ability to anticipate the future, the ability to create strategies to achieve the organization’s vision, and being aware of the impact of your actions.

These are all very good answers. Yet, I want to approach this from a different angle. First, I believe thinking strategically requires someone to have the capacity to zoom out before they zoom in, i.e. knowing when to step back rather than to lean in. According to Jim Collins and Morten Hansen in their book, Great By Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck - Why Some Thrive Despite Them All (HarperCollins, 2011), when we zoom out before we zoom in, the goal is to sense a change in conditions. It is not merely seeing the big picture; it is to understand how the big picture is changing. Once we sense a change in the environment, we need to ask ourselves the following question: How much time before the risk profile changes? The next question is the following: Do the new conditions call for disrupting our plans? Once these question are answered, leaders zoom in and focus on the execution of plans and objectives. 

From my experience, one difference about thinking strategically is that it is not about execution as in personal effort, but instead it is about execution of the plan as in making sure the whole of the organization stays focused on achieving the plan. 

Another notable element of those who think strategically is that they are not caught in polarity thinking. One unique element of those who do not get caught in polarity thinking is that they do not do this work by themselves. From my observation, if one is able to think strategically, it has happened after lots and lots of practice. I believe you need a strategic network of people outside of the organization who ask you questions about the things you are thinking about but from different angles. Effective leaders cultivate this strategic sounding board and utilize it on a routine basis. I believe a strategic network in combination with working with an executive coach makes a big difference in thinking and acting strategically.

For example, an executive coach and a wide and diverse strategic network will ask you to think through the following kinds of questions:

- Who are the different stakeholders involved?

- What is the impact to each group?

- What is the precedence being set for each group?

- What is the core message you are trying to send?

- What is the mindset you want to achieve amongst those who follow you??

It is the questions in combination with active listening that will make a profound difference in the long run.

At the same time, being able to think and act strategically means being able to understand the follower. Why? Because thinking and acting strategically is always followed by helping others to do likewise. According to Aaron Olson, and B. Keith Simerson in their book, Leading With Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results (Wiley, 2015), there are four types of followers. First, there is the follower who lacks competency and is unwilling to perform the task. Next, the follower who lacks competency but is willing to do the task. Third, there is the follower who is competent to perform the task but lacks self-confidence and does not believe they can perform the task, and therefore has self-doubt and lacks commitment. And fourth, the follower who is self-confident, is willing, and is capable of performing the task.

With the above mind, we need to find the “bell cows,” using a former University of Iowa football coach Hayden Fry term, namely the members of the herd that other cows always follow. Once we have identified these people, then we can connect with them on a one to one basis and begin the journey of helping others to think and act strategically. 

This week, build your strategic network, seek out excellent executive coaching on a regular basis and reconnect with the “bell cows within your herd.” All these steps will make a big difference 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 work through endings and new beginnings at the same time? part #1

Right now, so many people are feeling overwhelmed by the pace of organizational change with all of the endings and beginnings happen at the same time. Our challenge as leaders is to differentiate between change management and transition management. Change management is situational and outcome focused, i.e. the destination. Transition management, on the other hand, is psychological, personal and emotional, i.e. the endings. As the late William Bridges wrote, “Transition is different. The starting point for transition is not the outcome but the ending that you will have to make to leave the old situation behind.” Transitions start with an ending and finishes with a new beginning. The hard part about this is that it starts with letting go of the old ways, the old identity, and dealing with losses.

There are five stages within transition management and the leader's role in each stage is important. The first stage is “Before the Transition.” Here, you as the leader know that change is in the works. When thinking about this stage, realize most employees do not know that change is coming and are mostly focused on making sure the day to day operations are working well.  So, the first step as a leader in this stage is to figure out how to sell the problems that lead you and others to feel that change is the best solution.

The challenge to doing this level of work is to remember that the problem is defining the problem. Some people will see the problem as technical and others as adaptive. Your goal as the leader is to define the problem in a clear and concise manner. To help you prepare your thoughts, put them in writing. In specific, write a one minute speech about what the problems are that lead you to deciding to make change happen. Next, put together a one minute speech about why it is necessary now given how busy every one is. Then, practice giving these two speeches and ask for feedback so clarity can be achieved.

While you work on your two speeches, I also encourage you to assess the level of trust in the organization's leaders. Remember that there are three levels of trust: personal, strategic and organizational. Once change has been initiated, trust will be stretched and challenged. Recognize that you can give everyone a voice but not a vote in what is taking place.

Another step in preparing yourself and the organization is to visit with key leaders on a one to one level. Start by checking about their clarity for why the organization must change. And then, why it must happen now. Check also on the leadership competencies of key positional leaders. Everyone who is mission critical to success should have the ability to communicate well and cascade information well. They need to be good transactional and transformational coaches and understand data based decision-making. If you are struggling with team work issues, review the material from the following book: Lencioni, Patrick. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Jossey-Bass, 2002. It has good diagnostic material inside of it.

The second stage of transition management is called “During the Ending.” Here, all involved have learned that change is taking place. Now we are seeing people let go of the old ways, let go of identity as defined by the old way of doing things and dealing with the losses. We as leaders need to remember that loss is a subjective, personal experience while leadership is objective.

During the ending stage, do not overreact to resistance and opposition. Instead, frame it up as a form of feedback. Recognize that it is normal for people to resist the loss of clarity, connections, confidence, control and their understanding of the definition of success. You will also see grieving behaviors, e.g. anger, bargaining, anxiety, sadness, disorientation, and depression.

As you and others move through this stage, continue to define what is and what is not over. Always treat the past with respect, and show how the endings ensure the continuity of what really matters.

This week, reflect on the first two stages of transition management and teach those around you about it. This will help with short term issues and long term results.

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

Linking Expectations & Outcomes

In successful companies, I have learned that people know what is expected of them. And the employees within these companies meet these expectations on a routine basis.

So, when leaders visit with me about “taking their company to the next level,” they often want to discuss how to set clear expectations. But, when most leaders tell me their expectations in reality all they have done is to define specific steps to achieving a goal. Sometimes, leaders forget that good employees know the difference between what are the required steps, e.g. ones related to health, safety or accuracy, and the optional steps, i.e. different ways to achieve the desired outcome.

What interests me is that the best leaders define outcomes during the expectations discussion. This begins by the leader figuring out what is the right outcome. They do this by thinking through the following two questions:

- If the desired goal is achieved, what is the outcome?

- And what difference will achieving the goal make?

By clarifying the outcomes, we are letting people take responsibility for the route they take to the outcome. Then, expectations are more like guard rails to action, rather than a description of the required steps. 

This week, reflect on the above two questions as you begin to link expectations and outcomes.

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

The Three Definitions of Strategy

After the morning strategic update by the CEO, I was sitting at a table over lunch with a mix of senior executives and middle managers when she turned to me in between bites and asked the following question: “So, how do I think strategically on a daily basis?”

It was a good question. I responded by saying: “It all depends on how you define the word “strategy.”

When I teach the From Vision to Action Leadership Training, I continually point out to all involved that the word strategy is a big word. Often used and rarely understood, most executive choose only one definition of it and instantly cause themselves and others many problems.

So, let’s dive into the first definition. Strategy is an extensively premeditated, carefully built, long term plan designed to achieve a particular goal. People like this definition because it is precise, focused and will generate an outcome. At the end of the day, we can say “we did it” and have a party.

However, the best leaders know that there is more to strategy. Every strategic commitment has a decay rate. This is the recognition that from the time it took to create the initial ideas for the plan to the moment the strategic plan is ready for sharing, all of our best thinking and analysis goes into the document. But, once the document is printed, everyone wants to “get it done.”  What they miss in their understanding of strategy is that it has to be adaptable by nature due to unforeseen variables not considered during the planning stage rather than a rigid set of instructions or tactics. Without the recognition of the strategic decay rate, strategy has the potential to create organizational vulnerability.

The third definition of strategy recognizes that to create strategy can be as simple as one to three people sitting around a table writing stuff down. “So, what do you want to get done during the next 1-3 years?” asks one person to another. “Here is my list,” says the first to the second. And the third person is madly writing it all down on a flip chart or typing it up. In the end, strategy is created, but not owned and understood by those who have to execute the plan.  What most leaders fail to recognize is that successful strategy serves an important function in promoting ongoing evolutionary success. Strategy is not a one time affair but an on-going and in-depth process of creating clarity, ownership, and focus over time.  

In short, strategy is a an extensively premeditated, carefully built, long term plan designed to achieve a particular goal. But for successful leaders, it is much more than a document created on an annual basis. It is a commitment to thinking deeply and more holistically. And this is what separates the great strategy from the good strategy.

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

The Unorganized State Of Primordial Matter

I love a good speech that brings the crowd to their feet, energized, engaged and committed to moving forward to the next level. Over the decades, I have witnessed many a senior leader stand and deliver. Routinely, I hear leaders quote Winston Churchill and state that “every change is a challenge to become who we are.” And what many leaders forget is that one person's challenge may be another person’s total chaos.

In particular, leaders often forget that something is a challenge only when those who have to face it have clarity about why, how, what, and when. Regularly, leaders skip these details in their rush to begin. They have been thinking about this situation for quite a long time. Meanwhile, the listener has been quietly focused on doing the day to day operations of the company. The follower is focused on the now while the leader is focused on the future. 

This all reminds me of that famous quote by Yogi Berra: “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace.” The challenge that most leaders are talking about is not a someplace thing. It is a specific thing with a specific outcome or result. However, the new place, i.e. the place on the other side of the challenge, is not an every day thought for most people in non-leadership positions. They just want to do what has got to be done.

Furthermore, leaders forget that what they are calling a challenge for most non-leaders feels like total chaos. A challenge by definition is a stimulating task or problem that needs to be solved. Chaos, on the other hand, feels like utter confusion. The dictionary defines chaos as “the confused unorganized state of primordial matter before the creation of distinct forms.” For the follower who is doing their daily job, a challenge means there is a high probability for things and people to be unpredictable, problematic, and difficult. And frankly, most non-leaders are not seeking out experiences where utter confusion might take place. 

Therefore, I routinely coach leaders that before they start talking about challenges, they need to get their ducks in a row and figure out the whys, the whats, the hows and the when. Starting from a firm foundation of clarity, I encourage them to sell the problem before they starting quoting Winston Churchill. Then, they and their people can avoid getting lost in the unorganized state of primordial matter, i.e. chaos. They instead can start from a common ground of clarity and commitment.

This week, do your homework as a leader before you starting speaking about challenges. It will make a world of difference for all involved.

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

The Lexicon of Leadership

In the world of leadership and management, words matter. When I teach the From Vision to Action Leadership Training, I tell participants that the words from a leader are as powerful as individual actions. While not everyone can interact with a person in a leadership position, they can and will hear about what you say, and how you say it.

As Krista Tippett wrote in her book, Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living, Penguin Press, 2016: “I take it as an elemental truth of life that words matter. This is so plain that we can ignore it a thousand times a day. The words we use shape how we understand ourselves, how we interpret the world, how we treat others. From Genesis to the aboriginal songlines of Australia, human beings have forever perceived that naming brings the essence of things into being. The ancient rabbis understood books, texts, the very letters of certain words as living, breathing entities. Words make worlds.”

This is a profound and important truth. In the world of leadership and organizational change, words make worlds, because they have the power to shape perception, clarity and perspective.

However in the world of leadership right now, too many people are thinking out loud and not being careful about what they say and how they say it. They forget the old Chinese saying that “the fastest horse can not catch the word once spoken.”

This summer I will be writing about the power and importance of words. In particular, I will be exploring common words that leaders use every day, often with little thought. But for starts, let us remember these important statements:

- Words matter.

- Words shape understanding.

- Words create clarity.

- Words make worlds. 

This week, think carefully before you start speaking. It is one of the defining characteristics of great leaders.

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