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How to Lead in a Culture of ‘C’

May 21st, 2013 by Kate Venier

“Change is the only constant in life.”  – Heraclitus

My friends, we are in a time of robust change.  That horse is out of the barn.  That train has left the station.  That ship has sailed.  You can’t escape change.  What you can do is learn to embrace it and help those around you to do the same.  Most people naturally react to change first in terms of how it affects the self – how change impacts their status quo.  Some are able to step out of this self-centered focus, understand the broader impacts, and recognize opportunities to guide others in finding clarity, confidence, commitment, and calm.  Leaders need to cultivate this ability within themselves in order for their teams to survive – and thrive – in the face of turbulence.  It is hard to stay clear-headed and focused while the landscape around you bucks and recedes.  It is even harder when you are responsible not only for yourself, but for the productivity and climate of a team where that same challenge becomes multiplied.

Human nature is to resist change.  In organizations, it is readily apparent how change causes disruption, distraction and even disengagement. The net effect on business productivity and profit is real. If change is a constant, we need, as leaders, to help our people to embrace the new and unfamiliar – and even uncertain.  We need to help our teams continue to conduct and focus on normal, critical functions even if/while they are surrounded by chaos.  Here are five key things you need to focus on as a leader to shift from a culture of change resistance to a culture of calm:

1.  Communication – In the absence of information, the mind makes up whatever it needs to fill the gap – and it’s rarely good.  When people don’t know what they are a part of and how they fit in, it’s easy for them to withdraw and disconnect.  Be clear on what is certain and what still needs to be answered or decided.  Help employees understand what is happening and why, and how they figure in to the equation.

2.  Community – In chaos and uncertainty, people commonly worry about how they are affected individually; they become self-focused which creates disengagement and alienation.  Help keep connections alive by bringing people together to relate, share, have fun, and remind them that they are part of a bigger whole.

3.  Control – The hardest part of change is feeling like you don’t have control over the situation. In a September 2012 blog post on HBR, Rosabeth Moss Kanter cites this as the number one reason why people resist change.  In times of change, we feel a loss of control over our own security.  Help your people spot opportunities to maintain a sense of control – taking on a new project, learning a new skill, supporting a colleague – and you will help ease some of that tension.

4.  Climate – The one thing you can always control is yourself – your thoughts and reactions, how you show up, how you engage, and the energy you impart to others.  An organizational climate of uncertainty and anxiety creates distracting noise and is counterproductive, oftentimes when productivity is critical.  Practice self-awareness in the climate you set for yourself and your team, and others in your sphere of influence.  Make it constructive, not destructive.  Set the example and encourage others to do the same.

5.  Compassion – One thing about change is certain – it affects everyone, whether directly or indirectly.  A great tool in leading others through change is compassion.  By understanding and exercising empathy toward those around you, you show caring.  I know, this just got too fuzzy for some of you.  Stay with me, though, I won’t make this long.  I suggest that most of us are motivated to perform at our best when we are managed or led by someone who we feel cares about our future and our happiness.  This is a critical skill for leaders to embrace as our workforce continues to evolve.  Check out points 2, 3, and 4 of this March post on Forbes.com, if you think I’m crazy.  It may be considered a soft skill but mastering compassion as a business skill will pay off for years to come – in and out of change.

Change is often seen in a negative light, particularly in the current market where companies and their employees have been through a high amount of it in the past few years.  Given that change is inherent in business, those leaders who are able to turn the negative into an opportunity – to re-form camaraderie, creativity, and commitment – will find themselves before long in a culture of calm, and that will help pave the way for success through change.

Which of these factors has most benefited your team in a time of change ? Share in the comments below.

 

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Leadership Lessons from Downton Abbey

May 14th, 2013 by Deb Judge

I admit it; I’m a sucker for period dramas on the big or small screen. So it should be of no surprise that Iast winter, I got hooked on the PBS series Downton Abbey. For those who aren’t period drama buffs, the show chronicles the lives of the aristocratic Grantham family and their servants in the turn of 20th century England. An integral part of the smooth operations of Downton Abbey is Mr. Carson, the butler and leader of the male servants, who possesses exacting standards and unerring commitment to tradition.

Downton Abbey - Image by Evian Tsai

In season 2, while all the able bodied men are away fighting in WWI, Mr. Carson is left with a scant few male servants on staff to keep the household running. Rather than use the available female servants in the house to fill the gap, Mr. Carson instead takes on much of the duties of his absent team, leaving himself spread too thin with a lot of unfinished work. Things come to head when Mr. Carson collapses in the midst of serving at a formal dinner party and ultimately is put on bed rest in order to recuperate.

As a trained Organizational Psychologist and project leader at Forum, I couldn’t help but think about  the tried and true lessons a fictional British butler can remind 21st century first-line leaders:

Let go of perfection. Mr. Carson had exacting standards which were ultimately a part in his undoing when short staffed. His obsession with perfection slowed him down in both making decisions and getting the work done, which left him accomplishing far less than he could have.  In today’s fast paced world of change there isn’t time for perfection before acting. In fact, unless you are in the business of saving lives, I would suggest adhering to standards of perfection is not even necessary. Don’t be caught in “perfection paralysis”, make the best decision you can with the data available at the time, take action, and, of course, correct as you go.

Embrace Change. Mr. Carson refused to delegate to other members of the team because he could not embrace the changing times and allow women to fill in for the male servants during dinner service.  . Do what Mr. Carson could not, recognize that in tough times you need to discover new and innovate ways to utilize your team to get the work done.

Trust your team. Could it be that behind Mr. Carson’s disapproval of women serving dinner also lurked a lack of trust in members of the larger team? You’ve heard it before: as a first-line leader, you need delegate to the appropriate members of your team and trust that your direct reports are up to the job. Otherwise, you’re setting yourself up to waste time on activities that do not advance the goals and strategies of your organization.

While the lessons from Mr. Carson may seem simple, they may not be the easiest to implement. Share your thoughts: What are some new and innovate ways you are utilizing your team in the face of today’s business climate?

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5 Ways to Ensure your Feedback is not Misunderstood

May 7th, 2013 by Joe Espana

Feedback.  A ubiquitous word of ‘management speak’, heard every day in organisations and so often misunderstood and poorly applied.  And yet feedback is one of the most important and powerful tools in a manager’s portfolio of leadership skills. A carefully delivered and value-laden comment can make such a difference not only to performance, but to self-esteem, feelings of recognition and ultimately engagement.

As I work with global organisations I often hear comment or opinion delivered as if it were feedback, frequently doing more damage than was originally intended. I find performance feedback is rarely delivered in the everyday business environment.  The perception appears to be that it is better reserved for the formal performance review.  Is it this because it is too difficult? Are we too busy, or culturally find giving feedback awkward?

There are two forms of performance feedback:

  • Reinforcing feedback that aims to strengthen, support and encourage a repetition of expected performance or behaviour
  • Developmental feedback that aims to highlight and correct unwanted performance or behaviour.

Very often natural inclination is to focus more on offering developmental feedback in a desire to “fix” what isn’t working.  After all, isn’t that what a leader is there to do?

The problem is that leaders seldom get the balance right.  The results of countless studies show that reinforcing feedback has a greater relative impact in influencing performance than developmental feedback.  Yet, this somehow feels counter-intuitive.  This is compounded by typical training offered by organisations to their managers on how to deliver feedback which tends to be focused on the mechanics or procedure of delivering feedback as the starting point, rather than what it’s like for the receiver of the feedback.

At Forum, we offer a few guiding tips for leaders who are committed to improving the quality and effectiveness of their feedback.

Start with the end in mind.  What is it that you are trying to achieve by offering the feedback? If the intent isn’t about trying to enable the receiver to perceive the feedback as relevant, useful and valuable to them, then best not to start.

Assess the level of sensitivity to the content of the feedback.  This enables the feedback provider to ‘package’ the feedback and demonstrate thoughtfulness in opening the subject.

Always focus on separating the reinforcing and developmental feedback, so the receiver can be clear about what they are hearing.  In a performance review, both areas will be covered in the conversation, so start with all the reinforcing feedback first before moving on to the developmental, making sure that the two forms are clearly unconnected.  Avoid the natural inclination to bridge the two areas with words like ‘but’ and ‘however’, which have the effect in the receiver of discounting everything that was said before the developmental feedback.

Think about timing, surroundings and the personal style and preferences of the receiver. The sensitivity of the subject will help you decide where and when to offer the feedback and knowledge of individual preferences in receiving feedback will help you with how to offer it.  Some individuals will love basking in the glory of receiving reinforcing feedback in front of colleagues, whereas for others the cringe factor will be unbearable.

Hone your observational skills Without this fundamental skill the ability to provide high quality, relevant and valuable feedback is diminished.  It’s easy to spot performance that hasn’t met the mark.  It shows in results.  But it is particularly important to notice performance that is meeting or exceeding expectations and provide that reinforcing feedback as soon after the event as possible. Over time, the impact of this type of leadership behaviour far outweighs corrective comments.  It builds relationships, a climate of trust and open communication and makes developmental feedback, when delivered in a high quality and effective manner, more acceptable to the receiver.

Feedback.  A ubiquitous word that managed with skill can help transform an organisation into a highly engaged and productive one.

 

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Listening Lessons from a String Sextet

May 1st, 2013 by Marian Thier

violinsRecently, I attended a masterful performance given by six members of the University of Colorado music faculty. I was fortunate to be right in the center of the first row, with no obstructions to block my rapt attention.

During their performance I observed many lessons on listening that we can apply at work, home, school—anywhere that depends upon our ability to perform at our best.

Here are seven transferable musical lessons I learned:

Know the score:
Musicians: Each musician practiced over and over until they knew every note, sign, and sound. They knew the piece cold so they could concentrate on playing together.

Application for the workplace: When we understand the context, people, expectations and our own knowledge, we can concentrate on what’s being said.

Allow for different voices:
Musicians: There were six musicians with a range of experience, techniques and interpretations of the music as well as three different instruments with individual sounds. At various times one of the instruments might be most prominently featured, while the others play to support that stronger voice.

Application for the workplace: There are usually several people in an interchange, each with something to say. Turn-taking is crucial to allow for individuals to share a point-of-view or data that is vital to others. No one person should monopolize an interaction, which will drown out others who might have highly valuable information to add.

Follow different leaders:
Musicians: My friend Lina Bahn, first violinist, explained that leadership among musicians in this sextet is interchangeable as there’s no conductor, First violinist’s part is usually more demanding than second violin, but all are equally important. Responsibility is shared by everyone and determined by the music.

Application for the workplace: Sharing the platform is not always easy, especially when we have something we deem important to say. However, understanding that leadership is not a positional right, but an earned platform, allows for the problem or the situation to guide what is said and by whom.

Connect with one another:
Musicians: There’s a lot of body language being “spoken” among the members of the sextet. Eyebrows raise, heads nod, bodies sway, and legs move, all actions that encourage fellow-musicians to engage and stay focused. The audience is part of the performance, too. The sextet is energized by applause and appropriate body language (though humming along is not appreciated), so the audience and the performers feed off one another.

Application for the workplace: We learn to read one another’s signals when we’re face-to-face. Emailing will not relay all information that is required to collaborate and make fully understood decisions. Our listening habits are developed in our brain, body and emotions that emerge during interactions. Strive to establish a co-created interaction where it’s a give-and-give (not take) among all communicators.

Acknowledge strengths:
Musicians: Because I was watching so closely and at an ideal vantage point, I noticed that when one musician played a particularly demanding passage, a couple of the others smiled slightly or leaned their body and instrument towards their colleague in recognition of work done well. When I asked Lina about that she said acknowledgement of a musical idea is highly valued and greatly appreciated. The musicians can’t miss a beat, so the interaction has to be subtle and brief.

Application for the workplace: Even the smallest recognition makes a difference to people. Listening to someone and saying, “Thanks for making your points in a clear manner” or “I appreciate that you had to learn new software in record time” or even a smile, will probably make that person’s day and will increase the likelihood that behavior will be repeated.

Honor silence:
Musicians: A brief period of silence with its own place and quality, is as important as sound. The musicians, briefly at rest, are poised, expectant and ready to resume their “conversation.”

Application for the workplace: Moments of silence give people the chance to think and not feel obligated to fill the space with unnecessary sound. The gift of silence is golden.

Focus on the present:
Musicians: More than anything, the success of the sextet comes from their ability to stay focused. But on what—the score, one another, their instruments, the audience, physical comfort? Yes to all, but without losing concentration. They are on alert for what matters, split second by split second.

Application for the workplace: Giving full attention to a single task or person, unequivocally increases the likelihood that the fewer mistakes will be made. When we let go of the myth that we can multi-task and replace it with the knowledge that we can single-task, our listening proficiency will increase.

Whatever the context, consider how you can behave with the same degree of commitment, focus and respect as a sextet whose every performance relies on well-honed listening mastery.

 

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E-Learning is Virtually the Same

April 25th, 2013 by Nanette Miner, Ed.D

Common thinking is that true learning cannot be achieved in the virtual classroom environment. I disagree. In fact, equal or often better learning outcomes can be achieved in the virtual classroom.

Typical work place training seeks to achieve 4 learning outcomes, which are ordered from easiest to achieve to hardest to achieve:

  1. Impart new knowledge
  2. Teach psychomotor  (hands-on) skills
  3. Develop critical or enhanced thinking
  4. Change behaviors and performance on the job

New knowledge can be delivered and taken advantage of at any time. Memorizing facts and rules, or becoming familiar with base-line information does not require an instructor or peers to be present. In fact, many people learn new knowledge better outside of a classroom setting because they have the time to process and review at their own pace.

Psychomotor skills are, indeed, difficult to teach in the online environment because so much of psychomotor skill requires hands-on manipulation. While it can be accomplished, the virtual classroom is not the best choice for teaching psychomotor skills.

According to a recent AMA survey, critical thinking skills are reported to be lacking in today’s workplace. Working with others is a necessity in order to develop critical thinking – and the virtual classroom is an ideal venue for working with one’s peers. Through the use of discussion, case study work, problem solving, decision making and other collaborative activities, a learner can develop new perspectives and question what he “knows to be true” more easily than if he were to work on his own.  The use of webinars, video chat, instant messaging and teleconferencing can facilitate collaboration and contribute to developing one’s critical thinking skills.

Finally, achieving changed attitudes and behaviors on the job is the most difficult learning outcome for any type of training to achieve, but it is actually more easily achieved in the virtual classroom for two reasons:

  1. The collaborative nature of the virtual classroom.  As mentioned above, working with others requires a learner to apply more critical thought and question what they “know to be true” in terms of their performance on the job. When they can have an open dialogue with peers or mentors regarding a particular skill, they are more inclined to challenge their thinking regarding their performance on the job.
  2. The shorter duration of the virtual class Because of the shorter duration of online classes (typically two to two-and-a-half hours), a particular topic can be divided into shorter, actionable, topics and learners can have the time to implement, practice, question, and reflect on what they’ve learned and how they have applied it on the job, before they come to the next learning session.

For example, in a new hire salesperson class, one two-hour session might be devoted to finding and vetting quality prospects. The learners would then have the opportunity (before the next class) to go back on the job and try their new prospecting techniques. When they return to the next online session, they can share their successes, ask questions, get additional coaching and then move on to how to initiate the first-call.

By comparison, in an eight-hour, classroom-based class, the topic of prospecting would be covered by 10 a.m. and the rest of the day would add-on additional sales concepts and techniques without giving the learners the opportunity to practice or reflect on the topic of prospecting.

While achieving enhanced or critical thinking and changed behaviors on the job is the most difficult task for training to achieve, the learning methodology (shorter sessions, collaborating with peers, access to experts in real-time) of the virtual classroom actually enables those difficult outcomes to be achieved more easily.

Do you agree that virtual learning can have the same impact as class-room based? Which learning style works best for you? Let us know in the comments.

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Seven Leadership Development Trends for a Stronger Bottom Line

April 18th, 2013 by ForumCorp

Business leaders looking for meaningful growth are all about investing in their people to cultivate an engaged workforce, and ultimately, achieve higher sales and a stronger bottom line. In a recent post for Boston.com, Forum shared seven leadership development trends that we’re watching.

Trends topping our list include uncertainty as the new normal and the increasingly important role that first-line leaders are playing in their businesses.

We’d love to know— what leadership development trends are you seeing? Share your comments below, or join the discussion via Twitter and Facebook.

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Job & Career Development in the Driver’s Seat

April 17th, 2013 by Michelle Del Rosario

hands on wheelPerformance management’s lesser half has always been job and career development. In the past, organizations often tried to either include development in the performance management process or at the very least ensured there was a direct link from performance management to development.  However, development was still usually done separately from managing performance–It was more of an afterthought of the performance management process.

Organizations tracked the completion of performance appraisals but not any metrics associated with job and career development meetings. Companies would encourage managers to set up separate meetings to discuss career or job development. These separate meetings were to ensure that performance management was not confused with development. Employees were told to own their career development and the manager’s role was to support them. It was essentially the employees’ responsibility to drive their own development.

Recently, Bersin by Deloitte research revealed a negative correlation between employee performance and companies who leave development to the employee, and a strong positive correlation between employee performance and companies who execute three levels of ownership of employee development:

  • Owned by employee: The employee is still responsible but in an equal partnership with the manager and organization.
  • Owned by the employee’s manager: Managers need to be proactive in helping employees reach their development goals. Managers also need to be measured and rewarded on their efforts to support employee development.
  • Owned by the organization: The organization needs to set up the right infrastructure to support development and provide the tools and reinforcement necessary to make development a critical function of managing performance.

Companies are now realizing that they need to put more skin in the game when it comes to development.  Managers and organizations must get in front of development and guide employees to develop in their skills and job.  This has become critical to employee performance and the world of performance management.

Organizations are now investing in new tools, processes and programs to reposition development and ensure managers are capable of being in the driver’s seat. Maria Van Parys, vice president of talent management at Liberty Mutual said,

“Development planning is gaining recognition as a critical business process because of its role, not only in helping to improve an employee’s current performance on the job, but also to improve leadership quality and prepare current leaders for future general management roles. Manager involvement is key to help ensure individual plans are well targeted to its business purpose (performance improvement, leadership development, succession planning). Ideally, managers and employees work together to ensure the plan serves both the employee’s interests and the company’s needs.”

Managers can no longer take a back seat when it comes to development….driving development is key to driving future business success.

 

 

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Brother, can you spare some time? [Infographic]

April 15th, 2013 by Steve Barry

If the classic song from the Great Depression, “Brother, can you spare a dime?” was updated for managers emerging from the Great Recession, it would be: “Brother, can you spare some time?”

Managers today are crazy busy, with more responsibilities and distractions than they can handle.  And to their great frustration, many are not seen as “thinking or acting strategically.”  This is because only 10% of managers focus their efforts in a committed, purposeful, and reflective manner.  The most effective managers are clear on the results they want to create, and they invest their effort purposefully in effective activities.

This infographic illustrates the barriers to Purposeful Action.  Further, it shows how these barriers manifest themselves in the complex role of the first line sales manager.  For more on that topic, see ZS Associates’ HBR blog post on the topic.   For more on effective first line sales management, check out Forum’s recent webinar, The Four Keys to Effective First Line Leadership.

Traps for First-Line Managers - The Forum Corporation
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The Challenges of Growth – Perspectives from Shanghai

April 11th, 2013 by Janine Carlson

I was fortunate enough to recently spend time in Shanghai, China meeting with clients and participating in a Learning and Development conference Forum sponsored. In speaking with senior L&D, HR and business leaders from multinational corporations across a variety of industries, I was struck by the similarities in their key challenges, concerns and areas of focus.  Here are just a few observations.

Talent Shortages are Widespread

The continued pace of growth in China leaves most organisations – from hotels to pharmaceutical companies to insurance companies – struggling to find enough external local talent to fill open positions with individuals possessing the knowledge and skills to perform immediately. This has increased the pressure on HR and L&D to build development programs to close skill gaps and create talent pipelines internally—but this takes time, the right systems and discipline to build. This issue is exacerbated in many organisations because they have only limited succession planning and many key leaders are still not from inland China.

Skill Gaps Can Feel Like Chasms

As businesses focus on growth and innovation—key business drivers among many with whom we spoke—skills gaps become more pronounced. These gaps were fairly common across all industries and included strategic thinking, innovation, leadership/people management skills, coaching, change management and problem solving. There is recognition that beyond a focus on imparting specific knowledge and skills, closing the gaps will require creating climates that hold people accountable and are more creative, strategic and innovative.

The Pitfalls of the Fast Track

Because of the talent shortages, employees in China expect fast career growth and a highly accelerated career advancement curve is often necessary to retain talent. Career path systems must have different requirements to align with the local talent expectations of advancing in 15 months to a new role with a new title and more income. Additionally, individuals in leadership roles often are very young in comparison to the developed markets, often accelerating so quickly into their roles they can lack significant market experience, training and the strong management practices needed to retain employees, develop their own talent from “within,” and drive productivity, growth and innovation.

What can organisations do to start addressing these challenges?

  • Ask yourself if your talent management and L&D strategies are linked to the broader business objectives? If not, working toward this alignment will ensure efforts are placed where they can address the most urgent issues.
  • Map career paths and competencies – it will help you attract, retain and grow talent.
  • Evaluate your leadership bench strength and align it to your business objectives. This Point of View article or our quick Leadership Assessment might help with that process.
  • Remember that training is only one piece of closing knowledge and skill gaps. Focus on sustaining behaviour change for true impact.  You may want to check out our Behaviour Change Handbook for ideas and resources in this area.

How do these issues align with what your organisation is facing in China or the rest of the world? What are you doing to overcome them?

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“Lean In” Won’t Work for Everyone

April 10th, 2013 by ForumCorp

The business world has been buzzing since Sheryl Sanderg’s book, “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead” was released on Mar. 11. There is no question that having the drive to succeed is a critical component for female success in corporate America, but it’s Sandberg’s underlying premise that women should act more like men to be successful that has created a major debate.

In this piece for Boston.com, Maggie Walsh, Forum’s Vice President of Leadership Development, argues that Sandberg’s “lean in” method to getting ahead in corporate America isn’t the right tactic for everyone. According to Walsh, it’s authenticity that will win the day, alongside two other important professional keys.

Read the article here.

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