Support Creates Resilience

At the bottom of the trough of chaos, people struggle. They are working hard, trying to stay focused and hoping that they are making progress. Day after day old problems come back and new problems present themselves. People can be come pretty burned out by all of it, and start to wonder if trying so hard is really worth it. They question the goals, the strategy, the company and, sometimes, even themselves. The trough of chaos can have a high price.

But when I visit with leaders and their teams, veterans of living through multiple troughs of chaos, I learn one simple and powerful lesson. They have worked hard to support each other through thick and thin. This is not a one time thing, but something that has gradually been built over time. Common language and a common understanding about mission help. Being trustworthy with each other, and building team level trust has taken place because they have defined acceptable group norms and behaviors in alignment with organizational core values. They also have developed a shared mindset, knowledge, experiences, and common identity amongst themselves. 

And they haven’t done the above once and moved on to other things, they have done it over and over. They do it whether they are in the trough of chaos or not in the trough of chaos. They have done it when old team members have left and they have done it when new people have joined their team. By supporting each other in this manner, they have created resilience and perspective, which is a powerful combination when working through the trough of chaos in interesting times.

This week, reflect first on whether or not your team role models a healthy level of support for each other. Next, figure out if you can define the team’s shared mindset. If you can not do this, then it is time to build it. And finally, reflect on whether or not your team celebrates the achievement of short term wins at a collective level or an individual level. With this information in mind, sit down with your team and discuss your findings. It could be the turning point for a whole new level of focus and outcomes in your organization.

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

The End of the Comfort Zone

THEME: New Year, More Challenges

FOCUS: The End of the Comfort Zone

Monday morning: February 8, 2010

Dear friends,

I often tell seminar participants and consulting clients that “real change takes place outside your comfort zone.” Recently, the response has been the same all over the country, “What comfort zone? We lost that a long time ago. Now it is just challenge or chaos all day long.” In a world and an economy that feels topsy turvy, many leaders are hanging on for dear life and hoping for better days. Others are focused with laser-like precision on one critical concept, synchronization.

As you may remember, synchronization is the act of making sure a combination of events operate systematically and in unison. For example, the conductor of an orchestra serves to keep the orchestra in time. Through their actions, all the different parts and players result in a quality performance. In today’s business world, we are looking for improved synchronization at the operations, the strategic and the cultural levels of the organization.

Jason Jennings in his book, Less is More: How Great Companies Use Productivity as a Competitive Tool in Business, Penguin Putnam, 2002, explained it this way, “In productive companies, the culture is the strategy.... Unlike other companies, productive companies know the difference between tactics and strategy. The difference is the foundation that allows them to stay focused and build remarkable companies. They have institutionalized their strategy.”

When they have institutionalized their strategy, they build a culture which is binary. A binary number system is one based on two numbers, namely one and zero. In a binary culture, there are people who are one with the organization and others who are not. Those who are not are zeros and thus are removed from the organization because they are not in alignment and do not add value to what is taking place. Therefore, when the organization is in full alignment, i.e. culture, strategy and operations are united, then all of the parts become synchronized and work effortlessly.

This week examine the concept of synchronization at the culture and strategic levels. Remember the importance of institutionalizing your strategy.

Have an awesome week,

Geery

Geery Howe, M.A.
Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in
Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change

Morning Star Associates
319 - 643 - 2257

Personal and Organizational Fragmentation

THEME: New Year, More Challenges

FOCUS: Personal and Organizational Fragmentation

Monday morning: January 25, 2010

Dear friends,

As we continue to work through this roller coaster ride of an economy, I am reminded of the following phrase: If all you have is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail. During this period of economic turmoil, many people and their organizations feel like they have been hammered repeatedly. And the results have been personal and organizational fragmentation.

When the core parts of our lives and our companies have been fractured or significantly stressed, there are multiple reactions and decisions that surface. Often, we focus on solving immediate problems. While this helps to a point, this does not allow us to prepare for future growth opportunities. It just reduces today’s pain and anguish.

With this in mind, we as leaders need to refocus on strategic talent management and time management issues. The pain of today’s economy will pass. It may happen in less than a year for some, or it may be in three years for others. Nevertheless, the critical first step is to develop a work place where people feel supported and encouraged to do their best. We desperately need to keep, and to further develop managers and leaders who grasp the importance of people feeling supported, and apply it within their circle of influence. These managers will impact whether or not other key people are still committed and employed by the company when the recovery takes place.

Second, along with a strong culture of support, we need to deploy people to major strategic initiatives. While operational excellence is important, unification after fragmentation begins at the strategic level not just at the operational level. Here at the strategic level, we need to recognize that past success is the enemy. As many authors have pointed out, that which got us to where we are now will not always get us to where we need to go. Thus, clear strategic direction and defined goals and timelines are vital. These improvements position us for the future and strengthen our ability to manage at the day to day level of execution, too.

Finally, we must realize that time management is not just clock management. Time management can be viewed as the linear management of tasks, but when I meet people who successfully manage difficult and complex changes, I also find someone who is clear about their personal and professional priorities. These are leaders whose personal core values are in alignment with their organization’s core values, too. When priorities and values are clear, then time is not about watching the clock, but about working well with the others and prioritizing the challenges before us all.

This week remember that we need more than hammers and nails to put this world back together. We need thoughtful leaders with open hearts, attentive listening and compassionate understanding. We need leaders who recognize that even though healing at times come with pain, the pain should not define the overall healing process.

Have a good week,

Geery

Geery Howe, M.A.
Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in
Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change

Morning Star Associates
319 - 643 - 2257