Decision-making In The Middle of A Pandemic

All over this world, people are overwhelmed and doing their best. At work and at home, people are making small and large decisions. It is exhausting and it is very challenging. Sometimes we forget that “Life seeks organization,” says Margaret Wheatley in her book, Finding Our Way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time. (Berrett-Koehler, 2005), “but it uses messes to get there. Organization is a process, not a structure.” Many days we struggle with the messy nature of this time period and we desperately want organization and structure.

One the reasons we are struggling, especially in the area of decision-making, is that we have encountered an unknown unknown, a phrase former U.S. defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld made famous in 2002. As he explained” “there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. There are also known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns - the ones we don’t know we don’t know. And … it is the latter category that tend to be the difficult ones.”

In recent executive coaching sessions over the phone, I have spent a great deal of time talking about making decisions and decision architecture. In the beginning we need to think of decision-making as a four step process, namely preparing to make a decisions, making a decision, executing a decision and evaluating a decision. This framework can be used at work and at home. And since most of of are working from home, it would be good if everyone at home is aware of this framework.

In the Preparation Phase of decision-making, leaders sense what is happening in their environment and identify the problems that are taking place. From my perspective, this is the stage where I have to sort the noise from the signal. What information is actually useful, important and something I need to pay attention to vs. what information is just noise, i.e. non-salient factors or interference? As I answer this question, it is good to do an analysis of causality, i.e. what is causing what to take place. Furthermore, I need to think about what is the best way to make and execute my decision, i.e. the decision architecture. 

One interesting thing for me as an executive coach is that when I see good decision-making taking place in the midst of COVID-19, I see that all people involved know two very specific things. First, they understand the difference between what is a priority and what is a goal. Second, they know whether or not they should bump an issue up to a higher level in the company. Clarity about these two things are making a major difference between functional teams, all working digitally from home offices, and dysfunctional teams who are struggling in the exact same working environment.

In the Call Phase of decision-making, leaders actually make a decision. Most people think of this as the single moment of rational analysis based on knowable and quantifiable variables. In reality, it is a dynamic process influenced by multiple variables which are often outside of a leader’s direct circle of control or influence. The best leaders make decisions that influence now but they also set up a framework for others to make successful decisions.

From my perspective, the people who are making the best decisions right now are the ones who stop and think carefully about the impact and precedent that they are setting when the decision moves to the execution phase of the process. This depth of clarity does not happen instantaneously but with time and good coaching, it can become a learned and executable skills set.

In the Execution Phase of decision-making, a leader needs to mobilize resources, e.g. people, information, and technology, to support it. One of the most powerful resources is to make sure people have the time to work that is not interrupted by other people’s agenda’s or goals. Given current events and how many people are feeling overwhelmed and are overwhelmed, we have to recognize that everyone in the workforce has a reduced bandwidth for execution. Their minds are just full of trying to figure out the known unknowns and still being blown away by more and more unknown unknowns.

Finally, in the Evaluation Phase of decision-making, we engage in an evaluation process to determine whether or not our decision was effective. One thing I think we need to remember in the midst of this global pandemic is that the outcome of good decisions should be a shared commitment to continual improvement and a shared level of clarity about how all our decisions connect to the mission of the organization and our own personal sense of purpose in our lives.

For those of you who want more information about decision-making, I encourage you to read the following article: “Making Judgment Calls: The Ultimate Act of Leadership” by Noel M. Tichy and Warren Bennis in the October 2007 issue of the Harvard Business Review.

As always, stay strong, stay healthy, stay safe, and keep in touch. I look forward to seeing you on the other side.

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

How do effective leaders do goal setting and execution? - part #3

Ken Blanchard in his book, Leading At a Higher Level: Blanchard on Leadership and Creating High Performing Organizations, Prentice Hall, 2006, writes “… the goal-setting process works best when both the manager and direct report come to an initial goal setting meeting, having each thought through what key goals are appropriate for the direct report.” Furthermore, “Once both parties have shared their proposed goals, it is easier to reach agreement…. goal setting should be a joint process.” 

After 30+ years of being involved in strategic planning and goal setting, I fully agree with this statement. The desired outcome of the goal setting process is that the proposed goal is owned and understood by the person(s) who need to execute them

For us here today, let’s unpack what a SMART goal actually means. In simple terms, a SMART goal has the following characteristics:

- specific, observable, and measurable

- motivating, i.e. a person needs to know why the goal is important

- attainable

- relevant

- trackable and/or time-bound 

When a goal meets the above criterion, then the person and their supervisor are able to measure performance frequently and praise progress when appropriate.

When I see people set SMART goals, the “S” stand for “specific.” Here, the goal starts with an action oriented verb and there is a behavior associated with the goal. It is concise and it should be able to be communicated easily.

The “M” in SMART goals often focuses on being measurable more than motivating. When goal setting fails and I get called in to figure out what went wrong, I often discover that the measurement connected to the SMART goal was based on a lack of clarity about the difference between a leading measure and a lagging measure. A leading measure can be measured daily, weekly or monthly, and a leading measure is predictive. If the leading measure is effective and understood by the person or persons who have to execute the goal, then the lagging measure will be influenced and change will take place.

The “A” in a SMART goal focuses on being “achievable” or “attainable.” The problem with many goals is that they are more concept focused rather than action oriented. Effective goals are not ambiguous. Ambiguity is death to execution. 

Furthermore, effective goals and the goal setting process are personal. All involved need to have the mindset that “I own my goals and my goals own me. Executing them is a part of my regular work, and I expect my supervisor to hold me accountable to executing them successfully.” Therefore, we as supervisors need to do regular supervision, coaching and check-ins. 

One small note on achievable goals, I have observed this year that actionable goals work better when people are participating in “healthy” teams and within a healthy and well defined work place culture.

The “R” in a SMART goals focuses on being “realistic”. I also like to connect this “R” to being relevant to the strategy of the company. From experience, I have learned that many goals are not in alignment with the overall strategy of the company. I also have learned that many people also don’t understand the strategy or the strategic direction of the company. And without this level of clarity, execution of the goal can become problematic.

The “T” in a SMART goal focuses on “time”. We forget somedays that all effective goals must have a finish line. I often ask people involved in a goal setting process to answer these two questions. Upon completion, how will you know it? Most people just move on to the next thing on the list. And upon completion, how will you celebrate? We get so busy some days that we forget to celebrate when someone effective achieves a goal.

Finally, please remember this advice and counsel from Ken Blanchard in the aforementioned book: “Three to five goals are the ideal number on which peak performance can concentrate, according to most research.”

This week, share and discuss the above with your team. It is time we did goal setting better.

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

How do effective leaders do goal setting and execution? - part #2

When preparing to set goals, zoom out and remember the following key information. First, engaging in goal setting and goal execution is an exercise in “disciplined optimism”, referencing the work of Oren Harari in his book, The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell, McGraw-Hill, 2002.

Next, Bill Conaty and Ram Charan in their book, The Talent Masters: Why Smart Leaders Put People Before Numbers, Crown Business, 2010., note that much of the work of goal setting is done through role modeling. As they write, “Leaders establish the code of conduct through their own actions, questions, and openness to differing opinions in the struggle to pin down each leader’s unique blend of traits, skills, judgement, relationships and experience.” Specifically, leaders role model urgency, i.e. a belief that the goal is worth working toward.

Third, successful leaders who help others set goals understand two things:

- “Goals should build on one’s strengths, not one’s weaknesses.” - Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis and Anne McKee. Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence, Harvard Business School Press, 2002.

- “Clarifying goals involves making sure that people understand two things: first, what they are being asked [to do is within] their area of responsibility - and second, what good performance looks like and the performance standards by which they will be evaluated.” - Ken Blanchard, Ken. Leading At a Higher Level: Blanchard on Leadership and Creating High Performing Organizations, Prentice Hall, 2006.

Fourth, effective leaders ask the following four questions when helping people prepare for goal setting because as Robert Cooper points out in his book, The Other 90%: How to Unlock Your Vast Untapped Potential For Leadership & Life, Crown Business, 2001, we have to overcome “our natural resistance to growth or change:

- What’s the most exceptional thing you've done this week?

- What the most exceptional thing you will do next week?

- What did you do this week that made you the proudest?

- Given the above answers, where did your goals fit in to these outcomes/results?

The above questions create an opportunity for in-depth reflection and understands that exceptional action is often connected to exceptionally well written goals.

Finally, Hermina Ibarra in her very good book,  Act Like A Leader, Think Like A Leader, Harvard Business Review Press, 2015, notes that effective leaders “set learning goals, not just performance based goals.” They understand the link between constant learning and continual improvement.

This week, reflect on all of the above insights and ask yourself if you and your team are ready to do the in-depth work on setting goals that will be understood, owned and executed well. If not, take the time to get better prepared for goal setting.

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

How do effective leaders do goal setting and execution? - part #1

Three leaders and I were sitting around the dinner table discussing the challenges of leading in a very large and growing company when the person to my left asked me the following question: “When we get big, i.e. cross a certain size, what do we need to pay attention to that we are not currently paying attention to?” It was one of the best questions I have been asked this year.

As I explained that evening, a growing company can become intensely focused on project management at the operational level. This will result in a lack of strategic clarity and strategic development.

Second, senior leaders in companies that grow quickly will only be told what people think we want to hear, not what we should be hearing. This in combination with less and less connection and communication with front line staff and front line supervisors is a dangerous combination.

Third, quoting Ron Heifitz, “leaders die with their mouths open.” With growth, leaders can get caught in a constant information send mode and not spend enough time listening, learning and reflecting.

Fourth, many leaders of growing companies get so busy that they do not stay in touch with their mentors, their families or their friends. The result of which is that they loose access to perspective, love and support.

Finally, many leaders of rapidly growing companies forget that goal setting is the master skill. And the goal of a growing company is to set goals that people own, understand and will execute!

From my vantage point, goal setting has become more and more problematic during the last couple of years. The first problem is that the word “goal” means so many different things to so many different people. There is rarely consensus on the meaning of this term. And when we use a word within a group that is interpreted in many different ways, the outcome is confusion and frustration.

Next, everyone talks to me about the importance of having SMART goals, i.e specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time based. However, awareness about SMART goals does not mean we actually set SMART goals. Many times our SMART goals are not very smart.

Third, for someone to be successful in creating and executing a goal, there needs to be two things in place: an understanding of why this is the goal which is not very common, and ownership of the goal. The later is equally rare because ownership only happens if there is a safe space for ownership to take place. 

We as leaders have to recognize that safe spaces for goal ownership have to take place long before we set a goal. We also have to remember that executing a goal will requires us to step outside our comfort zone, and in this place the first thing we often feel is uncomfortable and incompetent. Now there is a loosing combination of feelings.

So, this week as you begin setting goals for the coming new year, think about goal setting as a four step process, namely preparing to set a goal, setting a goal, executing a goal, and evaluating a goal. This framework in combination with the above thoughts is the first step to effective change and long term success. 

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

Dealing With Accelerated Change, Chronic Uncertainty and Rampant Complexity

Being a long time executive coach gives me a unique window into the world of leadership and organizational change. Every week, I engage in in-depth and private conversations with people in a variety of leadership positions. Together, we explore their leadership challenges, organizational problems, and how to cope with these daily challenges and prepare for the challenges of tomorrow. Given all that has been shared with me during the last nine months, three common themes have emerged.

First, numerous executives and their teams report to me that they are struggling with the convergence of accelerated change, chronic uncertainty and rampant complexity. The problems within this convergence are some times technical, adaptive and critical to their short and long term success.  Often, those involved feel their choices are limited and their current ways to deal with this convergence are not making a difference. Most report that are overwhelmed and deeply frustrated by it all.

Second, many of those who visit with me report that they are struggling with how their organization sets goals and executes those goals. They routinely acknowledge in private that goal setting have become a useless exercise in writing down what you already know you are going to do. Therefore, it does not move the organization to new levels of performance as much as entrench people and teams into maintaining status quo.

Finally, many leaders want to conquer this level of adversity and have themselves, their teams and ultimately their organization emerge on the other side stronger and more committed. However, most don’t know where to begin to do this level of work, personally or professionally. They want answers and they want perspective. And routinely, they feel they are coming up short.

Given how many executive coaching sessions I’ve had about the above three topics, I have decided to devote the entire Fall 2019 From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable to dealing with these issues. Rather than covering five topics during a normal Roundtable, we are just going to explore three topics but in much greater depth.  With the above in mind, here is the agenda for the upcoming Fall Roundtable:

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

- 8:30 am - Arrival & Visiting Time

- 9:00 am - 10:15 am - How do leaders successfully deal with accelerated change, chronic uncertainty and rampant complexity? - part #1

- 10:15 am - 10:30 am - Break

- 10:30 am - 12:00 pm - How do leaders successfully deal with accelerated change, chronic uncertainty and rampant complexity? - part #2

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

- 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm - How do effective leaders do goal setting and execution? - part #1

- 2:45 pm - 3:00 pm - Break

- 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm - How do effective leaders do goal setting and execution? - part #2

- 4:30 pm - Adjourn

Thursday, September 19, 2019

- 9:00 am - 10:15 am - How do leaders conquer adversity and emerge stronger and more committed?

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

- 12:00 pm - Adjourn

Location: Coralville Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Coralville, Iowa

Price: $ 295.00 for the two days and $ 195.00 for a single day.

Registration form: 

https://www.chartyourpath.com/pdf/2019-From-Vision-To-Action-Exec-Roundtable-Regist.pdf

I look forward to exploring these important issues with you and your team this coming September, and to share with you what I have learned  about these subjects. Now is the time for us to gather and build adaptive capacity within ourselves and our teams.

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

How Do Leaders Deal Effectively With Too Many Initiatives At The Same Time? Part #2

As I pointed out last week, numerous organizations across the country are being swamped by too many initiatives. It is accelerated convergence and senior leaders and especially middle managers are on the verge of burn-out with how to cope with it all.

When dealing with this major problem, we, as leaders, need to have the will and the discipline to make hard choices. This will include having the courage to count and assess current initiatives, establish priorities after candid feedback and finally to put in place a sunset clause to all initiatives so those executing them are required to reapply for funding on a regular basis. 

John Doerr in his book, Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs (Portfolio, 2018) recommends we ask the following question when setting up a new goal: “How does the new goal stack up against existing ones?” Rose Hollister and Michael D. Watkins in their article, “Too Many Projects: How to deal with initiative overload”(September-October 2018 issue of the Harvard Business Review) recommends we ask the following two questions: “Does it [the new goal] have a positive impact on the business?” “Does it have a positive impact on the culture?” I believe all three of these questions are excellent starting places to prevent initiative overload.

From my experience, we are rushing the goal setting process and not actually spending enough time in in-depth thought and reflection. We are forgetting to explore whether or not the organization has the capability to support new goals and whether or not the employees have a level of individual competency to execute the goal in a successful manner.

Furthermore, Matthias Holweg, Bradley Staats, and David M. Upton in their article, “Making Process Improvements Stick”, in the November-December 2018 Harvard Business Review explain that early results that lead to process improvement can actually lead to back sliding. As they explain, to prevent back sliding, after the initial improvement, there needs to be viable support from senior leaders. “Without it, front line workers believe that the company’s enthusiasm for the effort has wandered, and backsliding ensues.” With strong support, 35% greater improvements happen after a year. However, there needs to be “consistent measuring and monitoring” for continued success.

To help with the aforementioned challenges, Matthias Holweg, Bradley Staats, and David M. Upton recommend three ways to help initiatives achieve sustained improvements over time. First, leaders need to communicate “the program in a clear narrative that aligns with the organization’s purpose.” Second, they need to direct “efforts toward pain points whose easing would clearly benefit employees.” Third, they need to ensure “that senior leaders act as coaches, enabling small wins to increase employees’ motivation and engagement.”

This week, remember that the biggest barriers to change and initiative overload are confusing strategies. So, can you clearly state what are the strategies of your company and why they were chosen? If so, are you and your team on the same page with this level of clarity? Finding common ground and common answers will make a big difference during the coming weeks.

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

Goal Setting and Decision-making are Interconnected

When working through the trough of chaos in the midst of interesting times, everyone is setting goals and trying to get them accomplished. Some days there are spectacular results and other days we are mediocre at best. So what is a leader to do?

First, set SMART goals, i.e. specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. This sounds easy, but it is not easy. Most of the time when I get called in as a consultant to figure out why things are not working right within a group or a company, the problem is with the goals. They are not written clearly or are so broad that doing anything will result in “success.” In situations like this, the goals are accomplished but nothing actually got done or changed.

One small secret to successful goal setting is to create planned short term wins. Remembering the research of John Kotter in his book, Leading Change, short term wins build confidence and clarity for longer term outcomes. They also help you as the leader deal with the common problem of complacency where everyone is comfortable with a dysfunctional level of status quo rather than doing the true work of in-depth change management and execution.

The other problem with goal setting is that it is directly connected to decision-making. Most leaders think that decision-making is the singular act of making a decision. The best leaders understand that it is a four part process of preparing to make a decision, making a decision, executing a decision, and then evaluating the decision to see if it worked out effectively. This four step decision-making framework could also be translated into a four step model for setting goals, i.e. preparing to set goals, setting goals, executing the goals that are set, and finally evaluating the goals that have been set.

For us here today, the intersection between goal setting and decision-making revolves around the idea that the goal of setting a goal and making the right decisions is not just to get something done. The goal of these two steps is to build shared commitment and shared advocacy for future goals and future decisions. Anyone can get something done. The best leaders want you to get it done and in the end feel like you have accomplished something worth doing. This level of ownership and confidence of the process and the outcome helps you, the leader and the company take on the inevitable next round of problems.

This week, review the goals that you are working on this quarter. Are they SMART goals? If not, rewrite them so they are more focused and actionable. Next, ask your direct reports how they are using goals as they make important decisions. This line of inquiry will be helpful for you and for them. Remember goal setting and decision-making are interconnected.

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

How do leaders get coaching and employee development to become routine and systematic? - part #2

The obvious answer to the above question is to set up regular coaching sessions with all of your direct reports. During these coaching or routine check in sessions, help all involved recognize that coaching is a structured dialogue about purpose, strategy, relationships. It involves questions, analysis, action planning and follow through. In essence, coaching happens with you, not to you.

What we some times forget in the process of routine coaching and development time is that one goal of this process is to create improved role clarity, job clarity, and priorities clarity. However, there is something else I have noticed when people receive regular coaching. The more they are coached, the better the coaching becomes. In short, the experience of coaching and being coached has a cumulative impact. 

Along with routine coaching, another element to successful coaching takes place when we help people set goals and teach them how to prioritize. One element of this process is to check to make sure those who are receiving coaching can differentiate between a check list and a goal. In simple terms, a checklist is binary and focuses on done or not done. A goal on the other hand has a clearly defined WHY element to it, and generates clearly defined results or desired outcomes.

Having coached people for over thirty years, I have learned that people want to be heard, and they want to be respected. People are always doing their best with the tools they have. And when possible, they always want better tools and better understanding if it allows them to deliver better outcomes. Therefore, we as leaders need to remember that operational and financial results happen when we have the right people in the right jobs, creating and executing the right business strategy, and with the right kind of routine coaching and development. 

This week, put that combination of elements together and you will always have a winning season.

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