How Accessible is Your Vision?

Every leader - whatever level they operate at, and whoever they are responsible for leading - must have a vision.

It is that vision that people will buy into & want to follow - so it must be easily accessible. There's little value in an over-engineered, wordy statement that needs to be analysed to be understood. It may sound impressive & cover all the angles - but people will not follow something they do not understand.

Then there is the plausibility of the vision & the credibility of the leader - will people buy that?

I was reminded of these aspects of leadership in a very real way recently. As is customary I went along to visit a group of new entrants to our business in their training room. As I do with all such groups I outlined my very simple vision for the team & how we all play our part in making the team a great place to work & our business a place we can all be proud of. They responded positively & the session came to its natural conclusion.

Little did I know as I left the room that within two weeks I would be required to talk to them again, this time to recover a very delicate situation!

Following some issues with the training they received, it was not possible for them to commence their new role on the planned start date. This created a measure of ill-feeling, uncertainty & a crisis of confidence within the group. In such situations there is only one thing an authentic leader can do - face the music!

I went to see them, apologised for the issues they had been exposed to, and outlined the solution that had been put in place. This potentially difficult message was made so much easier because they could clearly see that the vision I had spoken to them about just a couple of weeks earlier was real & accessible. They could see it in action.

When I had told them that we wouldn't always get it right, but we would always work hard to engage with the team to deliver improvements & learn from our mistakes, they liked the sound of that approach. So when I was able to demonstrate the truth of that approach so soon afterwards, it was possible to draw a strong cultural positive out of a negative situation. Rather than thinking the negative experience was a sign of things to come - they took it as a positive that the reaction they observed was consistent with the vision. This was the real indication of what working in this team would be like.

With engagement & confidence restored, the team made fantastic progress through the remaining training period.

This experience reinforced my belief that a clear accessible vision, communicated clearly by a leader who passionately believes in it, is critical to achieving genuine engagement, trust & loyalty within a team.

The 5 Senses of Leadership

We are all familiar with the 5 senses that most of us are lucky enough to possess in full measure - sight, sound, smell, taste & touch.

We use these senses every day & we very often take them for granted. That's probably because they are instinctive - and we use them automatically without having to think. We then process the information they supply to us automatically as well, maybe even sparking a reflex reaction which is equally automatic.

This made me think about leadership. Many great leaders are described as "naturals" - intuitive, instinctive leaders. Maybe they are, or maybe they worked hard to achieve their status. Either way, perhaps the reason why their leadership appears to be "automatic" is because their leadership "senses" are programmed to generate the best "reflex reaction" to the situations they face each & every day. Even when they are under pressure.

We can all usually sense when something doesn't look right or sound right - but how do we react? What do we do about it?

We know the importance of not 'leaving a bad taste in the mouth' or others - but do we consistently achieve that? Even if we are delivering a tough message?

What about the environment we create? Does it 'smell' right & 'feel' right all of the time?

We can train & develop ourselves to use our leadership "senses" to acquire this information, process it, & react positively with the right actions.

How can we do this in practice? Very often by using our senses - literal, or metaphoric. We can talk to & listen to people - staff, customers, stakeholders. We can look around the business, the marketplace, the competition. We can get a 'feel' for the mood of the team, maybe 'smell' the opportunities for expansion, growth & development. We can develop a 'taste' for success & helping to develop others to contribute to the success of our business.

So - how well balanced are our 5 Leadership Senses? And, can we trust them to help us make instinctively accurate leadership decisions all of the time?

Plug & Play Leadership

I am sure most of us have been there. After purchasing a new bit of kit for our home computer, we excitedly commence the installation process. It couldn't be easier - "plug & play" it says on the box! Inside the box the instructions consist of 4 simple steps - great, it will be up & running within minutes...

Then reality strikes! Unfortunately the installation doesn't always run quite as smoothly as predicted, and we can spend hours trying to get the thing to work. Trying one thing after other, experiencing a wide range of emotions, but remaining resolute in our determination that it will not beat us!

The whole experience reminded me of leadership. There are a lot of people who think they will be great "plug & play" leaders - how hard can it be they think...but then reality kicks in!

The challenges faced by leaders at any level in any role can be just as frustrating as a piece of computer equipment that just doesn't want to work no matter what we try. But our response to these challenges are what will determine our ultimate success as a leader.

Overcoming obstacles & challenges is the standard M.O. of any leader. Things will not always run smoothly - but achieving our original goals is essential nonetheless. Therefore staying in control of our own & others emotions whilst solutions are found & implemented is one key leadership strength. Being resourceful enough & willing enough to keep trying alternatives until we find a way to succeed is another.

Referring back to the example of the computer equipment, we may find we are left with no option other than to consult the 'helpline'. This is no bad thing if ultimately it gets us on the right track. It is the same with strong & capable leaders - they know who to consult, and when is the right time to do so. Whilst we wouldn't expect a good leader to reach for the 'helpline' on every occasion, neither would we expect them to always have all of the answers. 

Of course there is no such thing as "plug & play" leadership. However strong an individuals natural leadership style is, becoming a great leader requires hard work, commitment, energy & determination. When people see these traits in the person they work for they will be much more likely to support their leader & deliver a performance that contributes to the success of the team.

Three Tools For Leading Change

This post has been contributed by Martin O'Neill. Thanks very much Martin.

A useful way to think of strategies for effective organizational change is to imagine three rocks held together by a rubber band. The rocks represent the mind, body and soul of an organization. All three must move forward at the same time or the rubber band will snap back, stymieing progress and leaving you, at best, in the same position as when you started the change initiative.

The “mind” of an organization is its leadership—those making decisions at all levels of an organization. Leaders are the ones who are setting strategy and articulating a vision and direction.

The “body” of an organization consists of the processes, the structure and even the finances of the organization. The body represents the moving parts of an organization.

The “soul” of an organization, informing both the mind and the body, is the corporate culture—what is accepted in an organization, a kind of code of ethics.

Any change strategy has to move all three of these elements in unison (or close to it) if it is to be successful in the long run. The metaphor of the rocks held together by a rubber band is a reminder of the challenges of leading a successful change effort. Every transformational initiative represents change, and since change is the only constant in business, learning to effectively lead the change initiative is the only way to ensure survival.

Martin O'Neill is a speaker and the author of The Power of an Internal Franchise. Visit www.corsum.com

When Performance Slips

There are some key differences between managing good performance up to reach high performance, and managing poor performance back up to good performance. There is lots of advice available on how to build great performance, and how to stretch, improve, grow and excel. However there will be times when we feel we have done all of those things, created an environment or a legacy that is sure to succeed, and yet performance levels slip and remedial action becomes necessary.

A common mistake under such circumstances is to resort to a "command and control" style of leadership in an effort to get things back on track. I say mistake, because whilst that approach may be appropriate in the short term, it can become the "new normal" and if that happens it will ultimately restrict the ability of the team to return to high performing ways.

How can this risk be avoided?

Well it is always important to remain true to the core leadership principles, or ideals, that we believe in. If culture, environment and people engagement are the cornerstones of our high performance success then we must stick to these even in challenging times. Getting back in control of a teams activities by stating a few home truths is fine - but rather than stifling future creativity for fear of letting performance slip again, we should approach this with the goal of strengthening the team culture. By helping people to learn from their mistakes they will grow into a stronger unit that is more committed to high performance than ever before.

There are five areas to consider that may prove useful when faced with such circumstances.

Root Cause - Can we identify the specific reason why the performance has slipped backwards? We may have to ask some smart questions, or be prepared to "dig deep" - but getting to the real facts is the only way to successfully plan the recovery.

Mindset - Was mindset a contributory factor to the performance challenge? Do the team have the right mindset to tackle the performance issue and get back on track towards high performance?

Standards - Are the underlying standards in the team high enough to underpin high performance, and secure enough to stand up to pressure? We have to consider the possibility that slipping standards could be the catalyst for poor performance - and that addressing the cultural standards of the team will still be the most effective way to drive the transactional results of the group.

Communication - When the pressure is on, communication can become fragmented. Urgency takes over, and clarity can be lost. This is where the leader may have to take a temporary "command and control" approach to ensure that the deliberate, planned communication is clear and focused for all. However maybe the biggest risk, and often overlooked aspect, is the "inadvertent communication" that can be so damaging to a team performance without people even realising it. Team members can fail to stay "on message", taking their own approach to avoid being held responsible personally, and a blame culture could develop.

Consequences - Both the consequences for getting into the current position, and the consequences of not getting out of it must be made clear. If these are penal, then the whole team must face up to that fact. However there are a broad range of possibilities, and the leader must be able to articulate the specific consequences at any given point in order to get the focus of the team back onto achieving high performance standards.

Don't Ignore the Water

This post has been contributed by Paul Woodford. Thanks very much Paul.

As I was thumbing through a golfing magazine, I noticed a feature that caught my eye. It was of interest, not just because it covered ways to improve my 'short game', but because of the application I was able to make to my own personal leadership role.

 

The article discussed playing onto a green which has water surrounding it. Many golfers will tell you to ignore the water and try to block it out - reasoning that if you ignore the hazard then you are less likely to allow it to affect your shot, and the obvious risk of striking the ball into the water. However, the writer of the feature held a different view. He argued that this approach should be avoided, stating that a golfer should acknowledge the hazard and then carefully plan the shot, taking into account the facts and the risks. The likelihood of success is much greater when the player can visualise the flight of the ball, and the precise point where they will land the shot safely on the green. There is no point in trying to ignore the water - it is there and our brain knows it, however hard we may try to tell it otherwise!

 

So why did this lead me to reflect upon leadership. Well how often do managers make the mistake of trying to 'ignore the water'? Maybe there is an issue within a team that gets ignored or blocked out? Sometimes challenges are left to fester until they snowball into bigger, and more difficult problems.

 

If we take the advice on offer in the golfing magazine we can see the sense in recognising business hazards, risks and issues for what they are, and then planning for them accordingly. Dealing with the issues and problems that are in front of us in a positive, determined manner will ensure we are successful in achieving our performance goals. If we chose to ignore the hazards, we may get lucky once or twice and avoid the 'water', but inevitable at some point we will end up seeing the 'ball' splashing into the middle of a 'lake'.

 

So next time an issue arises in your business, take time to think about the best approach to take, and remember the advice to golfers - "don't ignore the water".

The Influence of Natural Behaviour

The age-old argument about whether leaders are born or made will probably continue forever. Whatever the answer is, it is easy to see how the debate originated.

Leaders whose natural behaviour patterns are predisposed towards great leadership were no doubt born with those tendencies - and even though they will have developed skills along the way, it is their natural abilities that people will be drawn to. It stands to reason then that anyone who embarks upon a leadership role who lacks such innate qualities will have to work harder to develop the right leadership behaviours.

With that in mind (and steering well away from the born versus made discussion), it makes sense for those in leadership positions to regularly check their own natural behavioural responses, understand what these say about their own leadership style, and then reflect seriously on the development needed to ensure their behaviour is always aligned towards getting the best results from the people they lead.

I watched with interest earlier today when I observed a management team putting their natural behaviour patterns to the test. There were some interesting and valuable lessons learned.

In the exercise that had been prepared for them, the group were invited into a room where all the chairs had been stacked up behind yellow and black tape which carried the message "caution - do not cross". The team were invited to "Take a seat". Following a few confused glances, the instruction was repeated - although this time the invitation was to "Grab a chair". The responses were revealing - intuitively everyone knew that this was some sort of test. But the test was not so much about getting to the right answer as it was to assess the natural behaviour patterns that emerged in this staged setting.

Broadly speaking there were three categories of response.

Group A were happy to break the rules, or make up their own rules to achieve the result in as short a time as possible, or with the least amount of effort possible. They took chairs from behind the tape, sat on the floor, or refused to sit claiming that standing up was a much better option.
Group B explored other options to achieve the right result without breaking the rules. They went to find a chair from a different part of the office, brought it back into the room and sat on it.
Group C watched the other two groups, and tried to work out which camp they wanted to be with, then went with the majority.

The whole exercise was over in just a few minutes - but the leadership lessons learned had a profound impact. It was put to the group that their natural behavioural response to such a simple scenario is probably their natural response to any task, challenge, issue, or problem they face in their day-to-day role. So the questions they must ask themselves are -

• Do I willingly or inadvertently "break the rules" to get results?
• Do I make my own rules up, or 'move the goalposts' to suit myself?
• Do I often look for the easy option?
• Do I consistently challenge myself to get the right result in the right way without cutting corners or compromising the overall outcome for the team?
• Do I just follow others, or follow the path of least resistance?

Once all these questions have been answered, the most important question remains -

• What impact do my behavioural choices have on the performance of others?

The fact is that, whether born or made, leaders will only ever get the results they deserve based on the influence exerted from their own behaviour.