Speak Less and Listen More

It was during my first year of teaching high school history and I was deeply frustrated. Overwhelmed by the combination of classroom management and trying to figure out how to get tenth grade students interested in learning history, I stopped by the Academic Dean’s office for advice and counsel.

“Why can’t I get this, Jim?”, I inquired. “Every day I am putting my all into this class and I feel like I trying to push a rope up a hill. It’s just not working for all of us in the classroom.”

He sat quietly for a moment and then said, “Teaching is hard work. It is not a you speak and they learn equation. Instead, you have to frame it up as an on-going conversation, a dialogue. Think of it as a give and take between you and the students. You need to give and you need to receive. My advice: speak less and listen more. Then, they will respond.”

I nodded my head and thought to myself, “What have I got to lose? It can’t get much worse than this.”

The following day I taught a bit of new material and then I asked an open ended question. Next, I waited. Sure enough, students started to answer the question and then they shared even more. I had to be patient but during the coming days  when I asked more open ended questions, more and more people spoke up in class and shared. We did cover all of the material and my students were more engaged in their learning.

Now, many decades later, I often recommend to struggling leaders to “speak less and listen more.” Most report to me that it makes a major difference in the depth of engagement they witness throughout their organization.

This week, practice speaking less and listening more. I believe you will find over time that it is a powerful way to role model authentic leadership.

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

The Key to Empowering Culture

Routinely now, people in leadership positions want to talk with me about the importance culture and strategy. Most want to empower their culture and leverage it strategically. While I believe this is an important point and can make a world of difference, I often point out to them that 80% or more of their staff report to a front line supervisor and work side by side with a small group of co-workers. For them, this circle of relationships is the sum total of their experience with “the company culture”. For them, the company culture is always a day to day operational experience.

Furthermore, we as leaders need to recognize that if these relationships are healthy and effective then there is the potential for operational excellence, company culture and the strategic plan to become real and inter-connected. Our challenge as leaders is that we are not helping supervisors make these connections. We also are not building cultural clarity and alignment on a routine basis.

On April 10 - 11, 2019, we will be exploring in-depth the interaction between operational excellence, culture and strategy during the Spring 2019 From Vision to Action Executive Roundtable. 

Here is the agenda for your review:

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

- 8:30 am - Arrival & Visiting Time

- 9:00 am - 10:15 am - What is the connection between excellence, culture and strategy?

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

- 10:30 am - 12:00 pm - How do leaders build cultural clarity and alignment?

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

- 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm - How do leaders empower their culture?

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

- 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm - How do leaders deal effectively with too many initiatives at the same time?

- 4:30 pm - Adjourn

Thursday, April 11, 2019

- 9:00 am - 10:15 am -What do successful cultural leaders actually do?

- 10:15 am - 10:30 am - Break 

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

- 12:00 pm - Adjourn

Location: Courtyard by Marriott in Ankeny, Iowa

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

Here is the link to the registration form:

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

Hope you will join me at the Spring 2019 Roundtable as we explore and seek a deeper understanding about the keys to empowering organizational culture.

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

Invest In Learning

When I first came to Iowa, I had the most unique job possible. I was a high school history teacher and taught one period of Western Civilization history to tenth graders every day. I also was one of two boys dorm sponsors at the boarding school where I worked. And finally, I was head of the entire physical plant. I worked with two people and numerous student crews to get things done each day. 

Some days, I fixed a broken toilet, worked with a contractor or made sure all of the grass got mowed. Other days, I was trouble shooting a broken furnace, plowing the school out on a snowy morning or attempting to keep up with all of the burned out light bulbs across the entire campus. Whatever day it was, there was always way more to get done than hours in the day. And, of course, there were numerous emergencies that took place. It was a high school and teenagers can be hard on doors, windows, bathrooms and just about everything else.

One day, my boss, the head of the entire school, came up to me and said, “Geery, you are doing a good job of staying on top of things here at the school. The physical plant shows it.”

“Thanks,” I replied.

“I want you to consider taking some in-depth one day seminars at Iowa State University this year. In particular, I want you to consider taking classes in energy efficient construction. There is a lot of new research in this area and I think it would be good for you to know more about it. I will take the first class with you but then I want you to take the rest of them.”

I was stunned by the offer. Our budgets were tight that year and he was offering to send me back to school. Before I could question his offer, he continued, “I believe in learning and in particular I believe in your learning.” 

I accepted his offer and regularly traveled to Ames, Iowa to participate in some fascinating, one day classes on energy efficiency taught by top professors and researchers at Iowa State. While I knew very little about construction and was not a builder, I did learn a tremendous amount of great information on this  subject.

But most important was that I learned something about leadership. The simple statement of “I believe in your learning” transformed my problems into challenges and empowered me to want to do even better. This act of support meant the world to me and helped me through many difficult and complex problems.

This week, I challenge you to find someone on your team and to invest in their learning. And if you are a team of one, then I challenge you to give yourself permission to invest in your own learning. Over time, it will give you the ability to transform your challenges into achievements, too.

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

It’s Okay To Be Overwhelmed

I was at overnight summer camp in the early 70’s and we had just completed an all camp soccer game. My team had won the game and there I was sitting on my bunk crying my heart out.

During the game, I was the goal keeper for my team. I stopped multiple attempts on goal by numerous people. I leaped. I dove. I even raced out and snatched the ball away before someone could kick it. I was fearless.

And there I was, weeping on my bunk after the game. My counselor came in and sat next to me.

“What’s up? You won,” he asked.

“It was a good game,” I replied, “but when preventing a score in the second half, I dove and ran into my best friend. He hurt his ankle and may have to go to the doctor. I didn’t mean to hurt him but I did. I just feel awful about winning and hurting people in the process.”

There was a long pause before my summer camp counselor said, “It OK to feel the pain and to be overwhelmed. Sometimes in life this happens. It is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of feeling your way through the process. Sometimes, the heart knows more than the head.”

Routinely during executive coaching sessions, people will say to me, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to cry. I am just so overwhelmed by it all.”

And I often reply, “Tears are not a sign of weakness. They just show that you are human. Feeling overwhelmed is normal. It happens. Remember: leadership is hard work. It also can be lonely work. Having a safe place to process it can make a world of difference. Thank-you for sharing at this level with me.”

In a world where busy and fast are the new definitions of success, we rarely give ourselves permission to feel overwhelmed. We just keep pushing forward assuming we are on the right path. 

However, there are times when we need to pause and process how we are feeling. When we do this in a safe space and with safe people, the insights gleaned are powerful and important. As I learned a long time ago, “Sometimes, the heart knows more than the head.”

This week I hope you can spend some time with safe people in safe spaces, and pause to process how you are feeling, not just what you are thinking. It will give you deep insights and new perspective about how to move forward.

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

Why Invest In Leadership Training in 2019? - Part #4

Since September of 2018, I have been routinely writing about why we need to invest in leadership training at this time period. Now that the new year celebrations have all passed, there is one more reason why we need to create more and better leaders.

During the last 18 months, more and more for-profit organizations have chosen a strategic path of making major acquisitions of other companies. In the world of non-profits, or as I like to call them, for-purpose organizations, there also has been numerous acquisitions plus many strategic mergers. The goal behind all of these actions is the belief that through these acquisitions and/or mergers along with a combination of greater efficiencies, standardization and centralization, a profit can be made or a greater capacity can be achieved to handle the current and emerging challenges in the market place. 

However, once the deal is done, one simple problem surfaces. Where are the leaders who will run the acquired companies or oversee those who have been merged? Typically, this element is forgotten in the rush to “close the deal.”

Nevertheless, there are companies who have not forgotten this critical element to success. They remember Packard’s Law which states the following: “No company can consistently grow revenues faster than its ability to get enough of the right people to implement that growth with excellence.” Getting the right people means training key people to be the “right” people. In essence, you need to be developing leaders before you need leaders.

Also in highly effective companies, there is a deep understanding that once acquired or merged, the “new” organization needs to blend the two cultures and the two business models into one new culture and one business model. The ability of leaders to do this takes time, patience and clarity. It is not simply implementing a communication plan and hoping it all works out perfectly. Instead, it takes leaders at all levels of the company working together to make sure they are on-message in word and deed, recognizing that every beginning starts with an ending which needs to be treated with respect. 

Given these current strategic choices, the best companies are expanding their pool of leaders and preparing them to solve today’s problems and helping them be well prepared for tomorrow’s choices and opportunities.

If your organization needs to be better prepared, then now is the time to sign up your key leaders for the 2019 From Vision to Action Leadership Training. Through a challenging, interactive curriculum which blends lectures, selected readings, small and large group discussions, and how to skill-building exercises, participants in this four part leadership training gain critical knowledge and skills which improve their ability to help their people and the organization as a whole move through the process of mergers and acquisitions.

For more information about this unique training experience, please click on the following link: http://www.chartyourpath.com/VTA-Leadership-Training.html

For more information about the dates, location, price and how to register for the 2019 training, please click on the following link: http://www.chartyourpath.com/VTA-Training-Details.html#Train2019

Now is the time to create leaders before you need them. I look forward to hearing from you in the coming days.

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

Define People By Their Abilities, Not Their Challenges

To graduate from high school, I had to learn a foreign language. Being dyslexic, I always wanted everyone to understand that English was my foreign language. However, my choices at the time were French, German, and Russian. I tried French and failed out quickly. Therefore, I ended up in Latin class where I was overwhelmed and behind from the beginning. But, in the midst of all these difficulties, there was one person who transformed it all for me. She was my Latin teacher. 

Recognizing how much I struggled with English, this teacher we would sit down with me each day, either in study hall or after school, and she would tutor me. Upon reflection, I have come to realize that mostly we talked about Latin, language in general, and my learning difficulties. We also did some, but not much of my actual Latin homework.

In the end, she passed me out of Latin and gave me the gift of being able to graduate from high school. I remember that during one of our final conversations together she pointed out that I should not be defined by my disability as much as by my abilities. 

This all happened decades before the Gallup organization did all of their research on strengths based management and leadership. This also took place before there were numerous book published in the 90’s about supporting people’s talents and helping them minimize their weaknesses. 

As for me, this depth of clarity about how to work with people comes from the understanding that people are doing the best they can with what they have and in the environment within which they are working. If we as leaders want people to do even better, we need to place them in an environment that is safe, compassionate and supportive. Then, their problems and challenges will not be the sole definition of who they are and what they can do.

This week, be a role model for defining people by their abilities, not just their challenges.

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

The Stones In Your Pocket

Growing up dyslexic was a challenging journey. School was a struggle from beginning to end. Reading was unbelievably difficult. I had to recognize the letters, then the words, and finally figure out what they meant. 

Furthermore, back in the day, we also wrote everything in cursive. Every day, the moving of that pencil across those lined pieces of paper was dificult. I had to go slowly and still I did not get them right. I always was struggling. Whether I was reading to myself, reading out loud to the class, or writing with paper and pencil, each lesson was a challenge and often a source of great discouragement.

The one person who heard all about this was my late mother. On the ride home from school, or over an afternoon snack at the kitchen table, I would pour out my frustrations to her about school and life. I did not know what to do or how to cope. School just kept happening. I was trying my best and many days it was clearly not making a difference.

One day, after a lot of listening to me she shared the following.

“Life is not easy, Geery. You can carry all of your problems around like they are stones in your pocket. And over time, they will just weigh you down.

Or you can learn to take these stones out of your pocket and lay them down. You need to learn to let go of them and let God help you with them.”

And with that, I had a new way of coping. I could just “let go and let God help me.” Over time, I shortened her comments to simply “let go; let God.” At times, I still struggle with my dyslexia but I do not carry it around like stones in my pocket. I have learned to lay it down and let God help. My late mother sure could put things back into perspective. And that is one of the powerful things that a good role model and mentor does for people.

This week, stop carrying your problems around like stones in your pocket. It is time to lay them down and put them into the hands of a higher power. From personal experience, I can assure you that it will make a difference.

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