03 Jan 10 It’s a New Year
So, 2010 is upon us and we’re making some changes here at the ole IMPACT headquarters. 2009 was a year of learning and one of the things we learned was that social media, and communication in general, is a lot more difficult to keep up with than we first surmised.
Actually, the problem I have always had is to figure out the difference between what I post on the blog versus what I write in the newsletter. In 2009 I tried to keep up with two blog entries per week and one newsletter per week. Nuts! So at the end of the year I took a break from both in order to rethink the purpose behind the different channels and how best to approach them for the next year.
I just finished re-reading Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything (P.S.)
There’s the model I want to use. I have tried in the past to create a blog that is educational and addresses substantive issues with leadership tips, etc. But that’s also what I’m doing with the newsletter. So I have decided that this year the blog will be much less scientific and a lot more…well, fun. It will be OPINION and hopefully in so doing will be not only an added thought value for you, but also more entertaining and engaging than the mini-lectures that have occurred here in the past. Also in a fit of independence and spontaneity, I will commit to at least a weekly blog entry but there might be some weeks where there are several. Who knows? Why not?
The newsletter on the other hand will become more substantive and provide more information and ideas than it has in the past. I am going to publish it in pdf format for those who like to print things or want to read them on their Kindle or Sony Reader (or iPhone or whatever). The objective of the newsletter is to create something that you will want to keep and to which you may want to refer. This allows me to have guest columns as well as much more useful content in one place on a monthly basis.
More than anything, as we move along on this quest to get it right, I invite you to give me feedback and input on what you think would be most useful. In the meantime, we’ll keep messing with the formula until we get something that works. For example, right now I have two websites: www.ImpactSuccess.com and www.GlobalLeadershipDialogue.com. I’m not sure this makes sense any longer and perhaps there should just be one. I think I have two partially valuable sites right now and not one that is a powerhouse. Maybe there’s a way to address that. Anyway, you get the picture. (If you have an opinion on this, I would love to hear it).
Off we go now into the new decade. We will keep learning and evolving and we invite you to do so with us. I suspect this is another case where there is no right or wrong answer, at least not one that is readily apparent. In the meantime, we’ll keep trying and see what we learn this time. Happy New Year!
Tags: engagement, Global Leadership, great leadership, trust, vision
13 Nov 09 Make your Goals STRONG instead of SMART
In the last post I talked about the difference between assessment and evaluation and how both are needed in order to provide strong performance management feedback to employees. In this post I would like to finally offer an alternative to the well-used (and perhaps outdated) SMART acronym of goal-setting. In the standard approach, goals are defined as good if they are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Bound. These are o.k. characteristics and they have worked for decades. However, I am not sure they cover all of the elements necessary for successful goal-setting in times of great challenge. Today we need more than smart goals…we need STRONG ones.
Simple. For a goal to be useful, it has to be understandable. By “simple” I don’t mean it has to be elementary, but it needs to be focused on a single activity and outcome. Goals that have multiple parts are hard to understand and are difficult to deliver since the employee is unsure of what part of the goal is most important. A simple goal for one person may be an overly complicated goal for another person so this is a relative term based on the individual and the task at hand.
For 2010, your goals will need to be STRONG
Timely. For a goal to be useful it also has to be relevant to the situation at the moment. Each goal should have an importance that is immediate. If you truly want me to make this goal a priority, I have to see how it plays a role in our success right now.
Realistic. For a goal to have its desired effect on performance, it has to be seen by the recipient of the goal as somehow possible to achieve. Unrealistic goals create demoralized troops. This is a point of negotiation. If you see the goal as realistic and your follower does not, you need to take the time to explain your thinking in a way that they can see the same reality you do. This does not mean the goal has to be easy..just possible.
Objective. For goals to be strong, they must be viewed as unbiased and real. One of the definitions of “objective” is “having a real existence.” If you want me to attempt to achieve a goal, it has to be termed in a way that it is real. “Making people happy” is not an objective goal. “Improving customer satisfaction” is.
Necessary. Useless goals are the bane of high-performance. For a follower to be motivated to achieve a goal he or she has to see the value of the goal they are pursuing. Goals need to be provided in a context of understanding so that employees understand not only the specifics of the goal, but also the goal’s importance in the bigger picture. The necessity of the goal can be a strong performance driver, especially for employees who are personally committed to the overall success of the department or organization.
Grand. Goals need to be aspirational. They need to represent performance that requires ingenuity and persistence. They need to be challenging. Remember that I suggested they are realistic, which means they are not SO grand that they are unattainable. But realistic does not mean that it’s a piece-of-cake…it just means that it is doable. Grand goals are goals that stretch us to grow in ways that mediocre goals do not. Grand goals can be exciting, if they are agreed upon by both the leader and the follower.
Ultimately, this last statement is the key to successful goal-setting. Whether SMART or STRONG or some combination of the two, goals that are imposed on people tend to be less successful than those that are established with people. A goal-setting session should be a dialogue…the actual establishment of the goal should be the outcome of the dialogue. “Gifting” your employees with their goals creates confusion about what you mean and what the priorities are. But a goal-setting session where each individual has the opportunity to share in the crafting of the objective can be inspirational in itself.
Tags: communication, expectations, goal-setting, motivation, strong goals, trust, vision
06 Nov 09 Chickens, Eggs and Change
There is an interesting debate going on amongst those who have little else to debate these days. The question is this. For effective change to take place, does one first change the organizational structure and systems and then adapt a strategy (and human strategy as well) to fit the new structure and system, or does one start with the strategy and mindset changes and then adapt the systems and structure to fit it?
This is one of those interesting leadership questions because, if you have an answer, you probably believe it is the only logical answer to have. Of course my answer is one of those amazingly frustrating answers for many people. I believe it depends on the change being instituted and the context of the specific leadership and organizational challenge.
In my opinion, it is possible for a full scale and successful change initiative to be instigated by the recognition that current systems, hierarchies and processes are either producing less than desirable results or, more likely, are not creating results quickly enough. This is a carry over from the industrial age that we haven’t quite settled yet. Systems that create efficiency and run at the lowest cost are not necessarily the same systems that create the greatest speed or quality. As I’ve written here before, the obsession with cost reduction has created many organizations that now find themselves able to do things inexpensively, but without innovation or speed to market.
On the other hand, organizations that have flat structures, few complex processes and an innovative mindset are not immune to dealing with change. The current economy for example has hit everybody. Many of these innovative companies (Google, 3M, Apple) have come to recognize that their cowboy mindset worked well in good times, but did not prepare them for the more team-oriented approach that may be necessary today. Yes, these companies have had teams forever, but the kind of collaboration that is necessary now is so entirely cross functional and focused that few organizations are accustomed to it. These aren’t organizational design issues…these are internal issues. In these cases, the mindset has to change first, and the design will follow.
Standing still is not an option
Finally, we have to get away from believing that there is one way to either make change happen or even to describe the phenomenon that occurs during change within an organization. We have become comfortable with approaches and theories that date back to a much more stable and industrial age. For change to work, leaders have to have open minds and hearts and be willing to understand that they don’t understand.
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Tags: accountability, change, communication, culture, Global Leadership, innovation, Leadership characteristics, trust, vision
20 Aug 09 The Leader’s Focus
As long as there are writers on the topic of leadership, there will be a debate about what qualities strong leaders should possess. I have also tossed in my offering to this list in earlier blogs and articles. The problem for all of us who think we “know” what it takes to be a successful leader is that most of our lists are somewhat dependent on context. In other words, of all of the possible characteristics successful leaders may hold, some will be successful with one set of characteristics while others will be successful primarily on the strengths of an entirely different set.
This is o.k. of course and why leadership is not really a robotic task. It takes the unique combination of strengths, talents and experiences of a leader to make leadership truly authentic for him or her. And that’s a great thing. To think that there is somehow a magic formula of just enough of one plus just enough of another is fairly ridiculous.
It's not what you call yourself that makes you a leader...it's what you provide to others
I think that’s a rather brilliant way to look at the role of the leader…as one who provides for success. When he clarifies what he is talking about, Marshall Goldsmith states that leaders of the future must do the following for their followers:
Encourage their passion. Professionals need to look forward to coming to work in the morning. Loving their work is critical.
Enhance their ability. Look beyond the skills needed for today and help professionals learn the skills they will need tomorrow.
Value their time. Realize their time is precious also — don’t waste it.
Build their network. By enabling professionals to establish strong networks inside and outside the organization, you gain a huge edge and much loyalty.
Support their dreams. The best professionals are working for more than money; they have a dream of making a meaningful contribution in their field.
Expand their contribution. Provide them with opportunities that they cannot provide themselves.
As simple as this sounds, consider these provisions in light of the leaders that have been heralded in the past couple of decades. This is not so much Jack Welch or Lee Iaccoca or Ken Lewis is it? Not that these guys haven’t been successful in their own rights, but the point Goldsmith is making is that times are changing, followers are changing, and leaders will have to change as well.
Make sense? What do you think?
Tags: accountability, courage, Global Leadership, Leadership characteristics, leadership integrity, trust, vision
10 Aug 09 Where there is no vision…
Vision, mission, purpose, values…all terms that represent some sort of organizational characteristic and all terms with which leadership teams consistently struggle. It’s unfortunate really because, in most cases, the struggle comes down to semantics. “Is our current statement a vision or is it a mission?” “Do these values statements really represent the way we differentiate ourselves in the marketplace?” “Can we stop talking about the bs-stuff and get to business?”
If you have been in any of these conversations, take heart at least in the fact that you are not alone. In my opinion, business schools, consultants and authors have done a disservice to leaders by trying to “brand” a process of definition that is, at its core, quite simple. I also suspect that some of you reading this will disagree with where I’m going in the conversation if for no other reason than it doesn’t represent what you learned as a definition. That’s o.k. too if what you currently have makes sense to you and is a clear actionable tool for your leadership. If not, at least keep an open mind.
Vision: The easiest way for me to think about vision is to go all the way back to bbc (before Boston Consulting). In Proverbs 29:18, King Solomon says, “Where there is no vision, people perish.” Whether the old testament is a primary source for your leadership training or not, this statement says a lot about a vision. A vision is not a statement. A vision is a dream of where you want to go. The statement comes later. Without a dream, it is difficult to get up in the morning and commit the energy and effort necessary to be successful.
A vision compels us to climb
I just listened this week to a group of graduate students arguing over whether the vision should be attainable or not. For what it’s worth, I’ve heard the same debate in leadership retreats and boardrooms. In my opinion, it doesn’t really matter. At some point the vision has to have a sense of reality in that it relates to what the organization (or individual) actually does. But it also has to have a sense of excitement. “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could actually say we have achieved this?”
Why would you not want a vision that you might possibly attain? You know what you do if you achieve your vision? You create another vision!!! The importance of vision is to put a point out in the future that you and your people can truly imagine. If all things were to work perfectly, if all problems were to be solved, and if we had a little bit of luck as well, we could attain it.
A vision is like magnetic north. It doesn’t actually move you anywhere, but it provides a point of orientation. That is why visions are not only corporate but also individual. You should have a vision for your organization, for your family, and for yourself. There are no limits to your vision because…well, it’s your vision. It’s where you want to be.
Don’t get hung up on whether this is a three-year vision, a five-year vision or a thirty-year vision. Who really cares? If it is exciting and if it focuses the effort of you and your people, go with it. I worked with a company one time that was in dire straits and nearing bankruptcy. This was in 2003 I think and there vision was, “Survival to 2004.” While this was meant to be something of a joke, it was also a compelling vision for a group of people who could not see how they were going to make it through the year. It was at the level of a “dream” for them to manage the challenges they had to the point of making the business work. They did, and they turned around a $500 million loss in 2 years as opposed to the projected 5 years that was assumed by heaquarters.
Helen Keller once said, “The most pathetic person in the world is the one who has sight but no vision.” Why? Because they have no direction. Vision is a dream that provides direction for action. You don’t have to measure the number of words in your vision statement, just measure the number of actions it inspires.
Tags: change, commitment, Global Leadership, great leadership, vision
23 Apr 09 The Power of Purpose
I had the opportunity this week to present at the Troy Michigan Chamber of Commerce Non-Profit Management Conference sponsored by the Non-Profit Network here in the area. There were around 120 people in attendance at the conference, all of whom had a great deal of passion and singularity of purpose regarding there work. As leaders in their organizations, these folks represented a dimension of leadership that I have spoken about frequently: Vision.
Actually, the keynote speaker was Dan Mulhern, First Gentleman of Michigan, who also spoke about simple and actionable leadership vision. In some ways, I felt he was “preaching to the choir” because most of the audience not only had a vision for their leadership, but were living it by the very fact that they were in attendance at the conference. As models for the rest of us, here are two strong commitments I observed at this conference:
1. Commitment to a simple and compelling view of the future. For example, Robin Pospisil, the Director of Admissions to the Japhet School spoke with me after my presentation on Leadership Integrity about her school being a “National School of Character” and developing values and integrity with children throughout their education. It was clear that she did not need a laminated vision statement…she saw a world where her students were uplifted and strengthened by the development of core values. I am quite sure she does not have to contrive a way to sell this vision to her colleagues because she clearly engages exudes the future that she sees for her organization. This was the general case with the leaders in attendance, all of whom seemed to be focused on what they were trying to achieve in their organization.
2. Commitment to personal development and improvement. Although this was a short conference, there were many concurrent workshop sessions available to participants. As an exhibitor at other events, I have found that often there is quite a bit of traffic in the exhibit hall during the actual program. Not here. These leaders were here to “sharpen the saw,” so when workshops were in session, they were in the workshops. During open networking time, they spent time with each other, but when the opportunity to learn was put in front of them, these leaders uniformly took advantage of it.
The final thing that really impressed me was the lack of victimhood that was exhibited by the leaders that I met. Non-profit organizations are taking a beating with donor skepticism, reduced fundraising, and cancelled corporate sponsorships. All of the leaders at the conference seemed aware of these challenges but rather than whining about the condition of things, they were adjusting strategies and looking for resources to be successful in trying times. After the last few weeks of listening to the Ken Lewis’s of the world state why they are unable to be accountable, it was refreshing to see all of this ownership.
As a writer, speaker and coach, I find myself at times getting caught up in all the complaining and powerlessness that seem to be abundant in leaders today. It was great to be reminded that leaders exist everywhere and that, through their commitment and focus on reality, truly make a difference in the lives of their followers and their constituents. If you want to be recharged in your own leadership role, get involved in a non-profit organization that can use your talents. You will find the energy and focus of the grassroots leadership will be inspiring and motivating in your own world.
Tags: accountability, Dan Mulhern, Non-Profit Leadership, purpose, Troy Chamber, vision
21 Dec 08 Strong Global Leaders (II)-Action, Vision and Values
Last time I mentioned Courage and Focus as keys to strong global leaders. This time I want to add three more characteristics that are closely related:
Action: Whenever change occurs there is often “a whole lot of waiting going on.”
The sheer chaos can paralyze the best leaders into inaction. However, if you are immobile, your team will become even more so. Certain activities will need to be done regardless of the future outcome. Discuss contingency plans for ongoing projects and acknowledge the concerns of the team. If you see the direction that the change is taking, you can also pro-actively prepare or influence the outcome.
In times of turbulent change, leaders are especially challenged. At the same time, the true test of leadership is how you manage yourself and the motivation and inspiration of your employees when times are tough.
Vision: In “The Leadership Challenge” authors James Kouzes and Barry Posner
point out, “There’s nothing more demoralizing than a leader who can’t clearly articulate why we’re doing what we’re doing.”While some have recently argued that a “vision” is restrictive and counterproductive, I would maintain that one of the primary ways to distinguish a leader from a non-leader is the holding of this story about what could be. Even though the world changes, the fundamentals of a vision can stay both consistent and based in reality when it is a real story that is truly held by the leader.
Values: Values are a part of leadership that never changes, they are the
masterplan to which everybody refers. No matter what else changes in the course of work and life, a leader who does not stick to his values will be seen as unpredictable, unreliable and untrustworthy.
While strong values like honesty, integrity, or social responsibility seem self-evident,it is important that you have highlighted a few of these as priorities, especially in a global team. Because they are obvious to you does not mean they are obvious to everybody. Nor does it mean that all of the team you lead or work with share the same set of values as primary.
It is not only the single importance of Action, Vision, Values that makes a great leader, but the manner in which these characteristics interact in behavior that is crucial. The vision and values drives the action. Action alone does not make a leader…only a busy person. Vision alone can not sustain a team without results. And values are the glue that holds the other two together to create truly high-impact teams.
Tags: Action, Global Leadership, Leadership characteristics, Values, vision
09 Dec 08 The Necessity of Vision
In “The Leadership Challenge,” authors James Kouzes and Barry Posner point out, “There’s nothing more demoralizing than a leader who can’t clearly articulate why we’re doing what we’re doing.” While some have recently argued that a “vision” is unrealistic in a time of such rapid change, I would maintain that one of the primary ways to distinguish a leader from a non-leader is the holding of this view of what could be.
Vision is so important to leadership because of the impact it has on followers. Of course it is important to have a strategic plan in mind for the future, but more importantly, followers need to feel that there is some stability in the mind of their leader. The customer, the marketplace or even the employee base may go through dramatic evolution, but if the leader has established a compelling vision, he or she can find ways to change the objectives but keep the vision.
True leaders are able to hold their vision because of their believe in their own abilities and in the abilities of their people. Changing landscapes are inconvenient, and they may effect the timelines or operations, but they do not have to validate the desire to succeed. Leaders find a way to stay connected to the reality of the situation without losing sight of the ultimate objective.
Tags: change, leadership, vision
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