One of the most common issues leaders are tackling with today is motivation - how do you maintain it or increase it. As a boss, it’s not easy to know when to push someone vs. when the employee is supposed to take the lead.
Robert Sutton, author of the New York Times bestseller The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't sites in his latest blog a research study conducted at Columbia University by Daniel Ames and Frank Flynn which “suggests striking the right balance between being too assertive and not assertive enough is immensely important to being (and being perceived as) a great boss.”
Ames and Flynn thought initially in their research that bosses who are too assertive are just too domineering and bossy and this ruins relationships with others. Yet leaders who are not assertive enough don’t achieve much of anything with their teams that they can beam with pride.
In their research they asked 213 MBA students to evaluate their more recent bosses. There was high overlap between those bosses their rated as moderately assertive and those most effective overall. The MBA’s rated those moderately assertive bosses as most likely to succeed in the future and those they would be happy to work with again.
Those bosses found not to be effective are ones that were either too assertive or not assertive enough and was cited as a cornerstone of those weak leaders more than deficits.
Ames and Flynn further state that being a successful boss requires modulating between pushing people strongly at key times and taking a step back at other times. “Being flexible and socially sensitive — knowing when it's the right time for either approach — enables bosses to be seen as motivating and engaged, but not as bullying or micro-managing,” Sutton says.
There’s a reason why being a boss is a critical role. A boss is a mentor, coach, manager and potentially leader. However not all bosses are true leaders. It takes a strong degree of emotional intelligence to carefully, strategically and compassionately motivate your team. Being a bull in a ring or hanging out in the background may move your team somewhere however over the long haul the results you desire will be non-existent.
How do you build yourself to be a better boss?
Perfect your skills in managing, coaching and leading with a keen eye to examining your own strengths. Get feedback from those who will be honest and those you respect. And get a mentor, this is one of the greatest tools you can have to shoring up your leadership. Be a lifetime learner and never live in the past. Look forward, be focused, be a realist and have profound compassion for those around you. Be “people centric” and devoted to your team’s growth. Get feedback on how you are doing and consistently improve. And after you begin to make habits out of your new found best practices, do them again and again and again. There’s a reason why on the back of those shampoo bottles they say “rinse and repeat.”
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Leadership and the Bottom Line
Does coaching, managing and leading contribute to the bottom line? Yes! I'm in the midst of writing a leadership book on this subject with the commitment to prove that when coaching, managing and leading is done well, this leads to increased productivity and profitability.
Of course as coincidence would have it, in the midst of writing, a wonderful resource came knocking at my door. Tim Lohrentz of the National Network of Sector Partners summarized decades of academic research, which confirms that employee development can improve employer bottom-line profitability by increasing revenues and lowering expenses in the following six ways:
1. Increased cooperation and ability to take advantage of innovation, which can be measured by:
a. Better team performance
b. Improved capacity to cope with change in the workplace
2. Increased rate of employee retention
3. Lower rate of employee absenteeism
4. Increased quality of work or service, which can be measured by:
a. Decline in waste
b. Decline in product rejection or mistakes on the job
c. Increase in customer satisfaction or retention
d. Better health and safety
5. Increased productivity, which can be measured by:
a. Less time spent accomplishing projects
b. Increased output of products or services
c. Time savings for managers and supervisors
d. Improved capacity to use new technology
6. Increased sales
I was not completely surprised to read sales at the bottom of the list. As one trusted colleague explained...Disney does not reprimand a Castmember when the person missteps and is about to go out and be with customers. Why? Because employee satisfaction means customer satisfaction. When an employee is happy, they will treat your customers better. When the relationship is harmonious between an employee and their supervisor, this too impacts how a customer is treated.
Perhaps today instead of looking so hard to improve customer satisfaction, maybe we have to look in our own backyards first. Happy employees will change revenue, innovation and productivity. So let's keep the eye on the ball - it's the employees first. When done right the money will follow.
Of course as coincidence would have it, in the midst of writing, a wonderful resource came knocking at my door. Tim Lohrentz of the National Network of Sector Partners summarized decades of academic research, which confirms that employee development can improve employer bottom-line profitability by increasing revenues and lowering expenses in the following six ways:
1. Increased cooperation and ability to take advantage of innovation, which can be measured by:
a. Better team performance
b. Improved capacity to cope with change in the workplace
2. Increased rate of employee retention
3. Lower rate of employee absenteeism
4. Increased quality of work or service, which can be measured by:
a. Decline in waste
b. Decline in product rejection or mistakes on the job
c. Increase in customer satisfaction or retention
d. Better health and safety
5. Increased productivity, which can be measured by:
a. Less time spent accomplishing projects
b. Increased output of products or services
c. Time savings for managers and supervisors
d. Improved capacity to use new technology
6. Increased sales
I was not completely surprised to read sales at the bottom of the list. As one trusted colleague explained...Disney does not reprimand a Castmember when the person missteps and is about to go out and be with customers. Why? Because employee satisfaction means customer satisfaction. When an employee is happy, they will treat your customers better. When the relationship is harmonious between an employee and their supervisor, this too impacts how a customer is treated.
Perhaps today instead of looking so hard to improve customer satisfaction, maybe we have to look in our own backyards first. Happy employees will change revenue, innovation and productivity. So let's keep the eye on the ball - it's the employees first. When done right the money will follow.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Art of Delegating
One of the chief responsibilities and core skill of any leader is delegation. Simple, yes? Oh no. Many executives today don’t know where to begin. However if you can learn to use delegation correctly, it can reduce stress, empower your direct reports and develop your high potentials. Conversely, the lack of delegation skills can lead to the downfall of any leader, regardless of how powerful.
One of my clients was commenting in a recent executive coaching session that his Vice President, Bob, who has no idea how to delegate, is derailing in his position because of this key weakness. Bob is great in every other area other than delegation. As a result, Bob has not grown his direct reports. His current level of delegating usually involves phrases such as, “Sarah, put out this fire. I’ve got to run to this emergency meeting. Thanks!” Or the flipside, “It’s easier if I just do it myself. In the time it takes to explain everything, it would already have been done.”
As your responsibilities, department and organization grows, you must rely on others to produce and take initiative. You absolutely cannot do it all alone. No way, and why would you want to? We’d all like to believe we’re Superman (or Superwoman); unfortunately, that is not the case. In pretending to be Superman, we leave very skilled teammates in the dust. If you delegate properly, you free yourself to do higher level work (where your energy should be spent); you shift accountability where it should be, on all members of the team (including yourself); and you build a more resilient group who can respond quicker and faster. If you don’t help put others in the driver seat, they too will pick up poor delegation skills and the cycle will continue endlessly.
Consultant Karen Lawson states on the topic, “You’re not simply assigning work to employees that falls within their job duties and responsibilities. To delegate, you must give someone the responsibility and authority to do something that's normally part of your job.“ The key is handing someone a task, for which you are also responsible, that stretches his or her abilities.
Here’s how to do it:
1) Brainstorm
On a blank sheet of paper, draw one line down the page. On the left hand side title it “to do” and the right hand side title it “to delegate.” Make a list of all the tasks you have to get done this week. These must be assignments and tasks for which you have responsibility and ownership. Jot every single one of them no matter how mundane.
2)Review your task list and consider:
o What is administrative?
o What questions can someone else on my staff answer?
o What task can I give to someone else that would assist in their growth and development?
o What are typical tasks my team is asked to do when I’m out of the office?
o What tasks can I give to someone would require minimal explanation?
3)Put names of your staff members next to each task. When assigning, be mindful of individuals strengths, weaknesses and skills you want to specifically looking to build.
4)Prepare to communicate:
o Reason for delegating to this specific person
o Explain task to be delegated
o Ensure the person has the time and desire to take this on
o Expectations for the task and follow-up procedures
o Timeline/deadline for work to be completed
5)Follow-up:
o Schedule time to discuss their approach
o Be sure to be available for any and all questions
o You might consider assigning a different manager to oversee this task – it’s another way to expand an employee’s leadership abilities.
6)Coach and mentor – if the person is struggling in completing the task, use this opportunity as an ideal time to coach and mentor strengths and weaknesses
7)Reward and praise – as employees complete tasks, reward and praise them for a job well done.
Stretch yourself this month to delegate as much as possible. View delegation as a core skill to grow and develop your employees. And don’t forget yourself too!
One of my clients was commenting in a recent executive coaching session that his Vice President, Bob, who has no idea how to delegate, is derailing in his position because of this key weakness. Bob is great in every other area other than delegation. As a result, Bob has not grown his direct reports. His current level of delegating usually involves phrases such as, “Sarah, put out this fire. I’ve got to run to this emergency meeting. Thanks!” Or the flipside, “It’s easier if I just do it myself. In the time it takes to explain everything, it would already have been done.”
As your responsibilities, department and organization grows, you must rely on others to produce and take initiative. You absolutely cannot do it all alone. No way, and why would you want to? We’d all like to believe we’re Superman (or Superwoman); unfortunately, that is not the case. In pretending to be Superman, we leave very skilled teammates in the dust. If you delegate properly, you free yourself to do higher level work (where your energy should be spent); you shift accountability where it should be, on all members of the team (including yourself); and you build a more resilient group who can respond quicker and faster. If you don’t help put others in the driver seat, they too will pick up poor delegation skills and the cycle will continue endlessly.
Consultant Karen Lawson states on the topic, “You’re not simply assigning work to employees that falls within their job duties and responsibilities. To delegate, you must give someone the responsibility and authority to do something that's normally part of your job.“ The key is handing someone a task, for which you are also responsible, that stretches his or her abilities.
Here’s how to do it:
1) Brainstorm
On a blank sheet of paper, draw one line down the page. On the left hand side title it “to do” and the right hand side title it “to delegate.” Make a list of all the tasks you have to get done this week. These must be assignments and tasks for which you have responsibility and ownership. Jot every single one of them no matter how mundane.
2)Review your task list and consider:
o What is administrative?
o What questions can someone else on my staff answer?
o What task can I give to someone else that would assist in their growth and development?
o What are typical tasks my team is asked to do when I’m out of the office?
o What tasks can I give to someone would require minimal explanation?
3)Put names of your staff members next to each task. When assigning, be mindful of individuals strengths, weaknesses and skills you want to specifically looking to build.
4)Prepare to communicate:
o Reason for delegating to this specific person
o Explain task to be delegated
o Ensure the person has the time and desire to take this on
o Expectations for the task and follow-up procedures
o Timeline/deadline for work to be completed
5)Follow-up:
o Schedule time to discuss their approach
o Be sure to be available for any and all questions
o You might consider assigning a different manager to oversee this task – it’s another way to expand an employee’s leadership abilities.
6)Coach and mentor – if the person is struggling in completing the task, use this opportunity as an ideal time to coach and mentor strengths and weaknesses
7)Reward and praise – as employees complete tasks, reward and praise them for a job well done.
Stretch yourself this month to delegate as much as possible. View delegation as a core skill to grow and develop your employees. And don’t forget yourself too!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Keep Your Nose Clean
Industry organizations are a great way to learn something new and receive terrific mentoring. Being a leadership advocate and a woman, I love organizations that foster leadership skills and do so for women. As someone who specializes in the media and entertainment industry, I have a deep personal admiration and respect for Women and Cable & Telecommunications (WICT). WICT is a national industry organization which was formed in 1979 and currently has over 7,000 members. It is actually the oldest and largest organization serving women professionals in the cable telecommunications industry. Their mission is to “advance the position and influence of women through proven leadership programs and services at both the national and local level.” Their “Touchstones of Leadership” guide all of their programs and initiatives and they include: know yourself, communicate, listen, connect, be a catalyst, be fearless and inspire.
WICT has made a strong impact through their twenty local chapters including the Southern California Chapter (SOCAL WICT). SOCAL WICT has been providing programs to bolster the leadership of women by such programs as their signature mentoring program, which pairs executive level women with aspiring leaders to foster their growth and development.
A key event and kick off for the mentoring program is their Mentoring Tea, which features several industry experts who rotate between tables of participants offering insights and advice to participants. I was fortunate to be one of those participants sipping tea at the Beverly Hills Hotel (I know, not a bad gig), eating scones with cream and learning about leadership in the media and entertainment industry.
The keynote speaker was Danielle Wade, VP Customer Care and Marketing at Bright House Networks. She was poised, elegant, eloquent, relatable and best yet...funny. I have met Danielle several times and what I admire most about her is her honesty and directness mixed with grace and humor.
Danielle shared several invaluable points about being a leader and succeeding. They are so great they are noted below. I hope you will enjoy these tips and put them into action:
1) Understand what you need to do to relate and be relatable
2) Find out who are the players - who has managed the "waters well"; what are their secrets
3) Have a personal Board of Directors - have varied members who deliver honest and forthright advice and feedback
4) Avoid the appearance of impropriety - keep your nose clean!
5) Represent yourself honestly
6) Test your limits - try it all before you assume you can't do it
7) Pick the things most important to you and just be them
8) Be authentic
9) Be resilient
10) Be daring
11) Be ready - you never know who is watching you at any given time
12) Pick something new to learn every year
13) Write down a roadmap of where you want to go - plan A, B and C
14)Write down three key goals you want to achieve by the end of 2010
One item Danielle didn't mention that I'll add in...be a mentor. Share your learning. Remember, great leaders pass on the learning and you too can be standing in front of a crowded room enjoying tea and scones and sharing your invaluable lessons.
WICT has made a strong impact through their twenty local chapters including the Southern California Chapter (SOCAL WICT). SOCAL WICT has been providing programs to bolster the leadership of women by such programs as their signature mentoring program, which pairs executive level women with aspiring leaders to foster their growth and development.
A key event and kick off for the mentoring program is their Mentoring Tea, which features several industry experts who rotate between tables of participants offering insights and advice to participants. I was fortunate to be one of those participants sipping tea at the Beverly Hills Hotel (I know, not a bad gig), eating scones with cream and learning about leadership in the media and entertainment industry.
The keynote speaker was Danielle Wade, VP Customer Care and Marketing at Bright House Networks. She was poised, elegant, eloquent, relatable and best yet...funny. I have met Danielle several times and what I admire most about her is her honesty and directness mixed with grace and humor.
Danielle shared several invaluable points about being a leader and succeeding. They are so great they are noted below. I hope you will enjoy these tips and put them into action:
1) Understand what you need to do to relate and be relatable
2) Find out who are the players - who has managed the "waters well"; what are their secrets
3) Have a personal Board of Directors - have varied members who deliver honest and forthright advice and feedback
4) Avoid the appearance of impropriety - keep your nose clean!
5) Represent yourself honestly
6) Test your limits - try it all before you assume you can't do it
7) Pick the things most important to you and just be them
8) Be authentic
9) Be resilient
10) Be daring
11) Be ready - you never know who is watching you at any given time
12) Pick something new to learn every year
13) Write down a roadmap of where you want to go - plan A, B and C
14)Write down three key goals you want to achieve by the end of 2010
One item Danielle didn't mention that I'll add in...be a mentor. Share your learning. Remember, great leaders pass on the learning and you too can be standing in front of a crowded room enjoying tea and scones and sharing your invaluable lessons.
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