Thinking Out Loud!: May 2017

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Leaders, Make Sure to Encourage the Right Part!

Kouzes and Posner have recently released a new edition of their outstanding work, The Leadership Challenge. Now in its sixth edition, the authors continue to explore and define what constitutes exemplary leadership behaviors. One of their factors that continues to hold relevance is that leaders Encourage the Heart. This got me thinking out loud about the important role leaders play in how they encourage their teams and how we can sometimes get it wrong!

Now don’t get me wrong, I love encouraging others! In fact, Mary Kay Ashford, founder of Mary Kay cosmetics, stated “people wear an invisible sign around their necks that reads, make me feel important!”. That’s poppin’ right?!?! I try to look for that sign in just about every interaction I have. We live in a very cynical world that offers impossible comparisons so it is critical that we lift up others where and when we can. The only problem, however, is that I believe that as leaders we often encourage the wrong body part!

Far too often our encouragement does more to inflate the head versus the heart. The danger in doing so is that such head-focused encouragement gives people an inflated or inaccurate perception of their abilities and talents. Instead, we should be encouraging the heart. Motivating others to strive to do and be more versus leaving the impression that they have somehow “arrived” and need no further improvement. Nothing can be further from the truth. We should and need to be constantly improving but most of our encouragement tells people that they are great just as they are with no need to go further. I swear if I thought I could get away with it, I would create a keynote entitled “Life’s Not Fair, You’re Not as Good as You Think You Are, and No One Pays for Average” (now you know why I am more of a trainer than a speaker - not the most encouraging of topics!!).

The body part we should be encouraging is the heart. Here the focus is on motivating others versus telling others. So, what’s the difference and how should we do this more effectively?

Focus on Potential over Past Performance
Highlight people’s Character more than their Knowledge
Inquire as to where people are GOING versus where they have BEEN
Identify effective Behaviors as opposed to Possessions

Dr. Posner offered a great supervisor/coaching question during a recent webinar sponsored by Flashpoint Leadership that captures this heart over head paradigm: “What have you done this week that has make you more powerful, able, and happy than you were last week?” The implication is that the team member IS capable of more but that their continued growth is important. The goal is to let people know that you believe in them even when they are not operating to their highest potential. It is important to understand that the intention of leadership is to BECOME something versus GET something.

As always if I can help you and the people you associate with Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would invite you to email me or to visit my website below and see if any of the training or coaching experiences I offer can provide an impact! In fact, I am launching a new SPEAK FOR IMPACT training program that will help both novice and experienced leaders find their platform and increase their communication skills! Also, as a bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and enter your contact information, I will send you a FREE guide to establishing a mentoring initiative program in your organization! Such an initiative would be critical to add value to your organization!

Yours in Leadership,

Bill Faulkner

Principal Consultant – Out Loud Strategies

Independent Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team ^TM

Email = bill@outloudinc.com

Visit our website at: www.outloudinc.com

For more information on the John Maxwell Team, please visit

http://www.johncmaxwellgroup.com/williamfaulkner/

Feel free to “LIKE” our FB Page www.facebook.com/outloudinc

Sunday, May 14, 2017

Accountability: The Leader’s Mandate.

“Correction has to walk alongside Compassion”. Entrepreneur and entertainer Tyler Perry shared these wise words at the recent Leadercast event. He was pointing out how he had to correct a young employee who was in need of enhancing his professional demeanor. Mr. Perry went on to share how he had to have a frank and open conversation with the young staff member but that he also came alongside him and mentored him as to his expectations. The result was that the employee became a highly respected and valued member of his team. This Correction/Compassion approach got me thinking out loud about how as leaders, it is an imperative (not an option) to hold people accountable for their actions and performance.

The issue is, however, is that as leaders we usually train ourselves on the attributes we find most valuable and enjoyable. Competencies such as casting vision, organizing resources, mobilizing talent, and effectively communicating are the leader’s stock in trade. We enjoy doing such things because they are in our areas of strength. When it comes to holding others accountable, however, is where we falter. Accountability conversations aren’t “sexy”. They are not fun. They are awkward; thus, we avoid them. The result of such hesitation, however, is confusion, lower productivity, unnecessary staff turnover, and often hurt feelings . . . all of which can be avoided if leaders do the hard work on the front end and the important work on the continuing end.

First, we must get a clear idea of the imperative of accountability. According to author and organizational consultant Henry Cloud, accountability means to answer to a TRUST or to understand what we were entrusted to do. This places the concept of accountability in a new and empowering light. Accountability can no longer can be thought of as a word in the “human performance” vernacular, but a solemn responsibility to do the best job we can, what we have been entrusted to do! In other words, if someone has agreed to do a specific job and have accepted compensation and/or made a commitment to do so from an organization, then they are honor bound to do their best.

So how can we take the awkwardness out of holding others accountability and make it empowering and productive. Whereas not a complete list, here a few ideas.

Set Clear Expectations – In my practice as a higher education administrator, I was often perplexed from others who would become frustrated at the poor behavior of students, athletic teams, or other organizations. I would often ask their advisors if they had ever communicated expectations for these groups or individuals. Often the answer was that they had not. The point is this, how can you possibly expect staff members to act in a certain way if they have never heard what those expectations are in the first place! Such expectations can be powerful because they motivate people to meet and exceed expectations. A former supervisor once shared with me that in setting expectations, it is more motivating to stress what you are FOR versus what you are AGAINST!

Negotiate Metrics of Success – most people want to win! They want to know that their efforts are making a difference and contribute to the overall success of the enterprise. Research shows that when staff members have a clear AND mutually agreed upon scoreboard of what constitutes progress and success in their roles, they perform even higher. But take a very important note: This cannot be a one and done conversation. Every quarter, review both individual and organizational results with your team. If things are going great, it will be incredibly energizing and even if they aren’t, it can also energize folks to increase efforts since you are all in it together!

Pursue the Tough Conversation – when it is time to make a course correction, it is critical that the leader INITIATES the tough but necessary conversation. A practice that has helped me is to list out talking points in advance so that I am clear what I want to share. For some other strategies to take the sting of emotion out of it, try the following.

Address Behaviors, Not Personalities – start conversations with observations, not accusations. Statements such as “these are my observations” as opposed to “you have” or “you are” can de-personalize the interaction and keep it professional.
Provide Positives with Areas for Development – it is important that staff members know that any shortcomings are not permanent or pervasive. You goal is to address specific areas of performance and clearly communicate that is not a reflection of overall character. As Douglas Conant, CEO of Campbell Soup, shares, “be tough on the issues but soft on people”.
Determine the REAL Issue – before you even initiate an accountability conversation, be very clear WHAT you are addressing and WHY. Do a gut check and ask yourself if this is really your issue or theirs! I have often said there is more than right way to do things which is a tough thing for leaders to admit!

Leaders Go First – in the accountability process, the very first person a leader holds accountable is them self! As a leader, you must be both SEEN and HEARD holding yourself accountable for your performance. If you make a mistake, admit it. If things are going well, generously share credit. Whereas I do agree, that leadership is no longer the sole property of THE LEADER, you do have more influence than you can imagine. As leadership expert John Maxwell shares, “The best gift a leader can give is their good example!”

Truth be known, holding others accountable is not easy but it is necessary if you want your enterprise to thrive and succeed! Like anything to do with leadership, however, it is something that can be learned so it must be both rehearsed and practiced. If you are still unsure, rehearse your conversation with a mentor or coach beforehand to make sure you are handling things as professionally as possible. Regardless of how much you are prepared, how fair you are, or how justified in your efforts, be prepared for a reaction. Some people may appreciate the feedback but others, who may not have been held accountable for their behavior in the past, may still get defensive. At that point, the ball is in their court as to whether or not they will accept your feedback. At the end of the day, YOUR job is to deliver correction with compassion, the rest is up to them.

For a great resource on this topic of accountability, I highly recommend a book by executive coach Alan Dobzinski – The Buck Starts Here. www.accountabilityexperts.com.

Yours in Leadership,

Bill Faulkner

Principal Consultant – Out Loud Strategies

Independent Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team ^TM

Email = bill@outloudinc.com

Visit our website at: www.outloudinc.com

For more information on the John Maxwell Team, please visit

http://www.johncmaxwellgroup.com/williamfaulkner/

Feel free to “LIKE” our FB Page www.facebook.com/outloudinc

Sunday, May 7, 2017

Meaningful Work = Maximum Impact!

“You should not have to choose between making a living and making a difference!” Very wise words from young entrepreneur and philanthropist, Jess Ekstrom, founder of Headbands for Hope. This week I had the opportunity to hear Jess share those wise during the 2017 Leadercast event held live in Atlanta, GA but broadcast all over the world. It got me thinking out loud about how we could combine work and meaning more intentionally.

I think it is fascinating how two people doing essentially the same job can view their work so differently. Pastor and author Andy Stanley (the Leadercast opener for several years in a row now) shares a story about two homebuilders. One found little value in his work. He was just building structures that essentially kept people out of the rain and his focus was on all the negatives associated with the work such as staffing issues, client complaints, dealing with subcontractors, etc. As a result, his success was minimal because he was just building a house.

Another homebuilder, however, had an entirely different view. He helped the buyers envision a stairwell that would be the photo spot for the home come prom season and there would be spaces for entertaining friends and family during holidays and other special occasions. In other words, he saw his role as building a “home” where memories of a lifetime will be made. Who would you rather use? Of course, you would want to have your home built by the builder who saw value in his work which is why he was successful! Their problems were the same, their challenges were the same, but the difference is that one builder just stopped there but the other took the leap to the OPPORTUNITIES presented!

I have been blessed to be in professions where I truly believe in the value of what I am doing. I am not saying everyday was perfect that I never became frustrated, but what I am stressing is that when I focused on the OPPORTUNITIES and MEANING of the work versus just the problems, that provided me the strength and resilience to get past the tough times.

So, what do you do if you are in a role or place in your life where your job was just an END versus something of value or meaning?

Find the VALUE in what you do – every job has importance. The trick is to remember why you got in what you do in the first place!

Focus on the SOLUTIONS you provide – Your current job helps solves problems for someone at some time. Never lose sight of that. According to Jess, when you create solutions for others, you discover the value of your work!

Define your WORK versus the other way around – like the example of the two homebuilders above, YOU should define your work and not have your work define you! I recently met an individual who was clearly working above and beyond his job description. He would personally offer support and solutions to those in the organization on countless occasions. As a result, he was universally lauded by other members of the organization for his commitment and character. When I told him this, he seemed to be surprised by this. In his mind, he was just trying to do his job to the best of ability never knowing of the respect he had so deservedly earned!

You should not have to choose between making a living and making a difference! - Jess Ekstrom

The point of all of this is to LIVE and LEAD with PURPOSE. The point of Purpose according to Cheryl Bachelder, CEO of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, is to determine how you will serve others. If you don’t plan to serve others then you don’t need a purpose! So, if you are still in a role where the point and purpose of it is still allusive, then pursue what will provide meaning to you. This will take courageous curiosity to pursue a new role or even an entirely new career path but the rewards will be worth it! Otherwise, you will always be asking yourself – what if?

To reflect further on the impactful statement of Jess Ekstrom that started this week’s blog, our work and purpose should NOT be mutually exclusive. Like Jess who built a career on designing and producing cool headbands for girls and women who lost their hair due to cancer treatments thus; restored their self-image, find a PROBLEM to SOLVE and a PURPOSE to FULFILL! Once you understand your IMPACT, EVERYTHING changes!

Yours in Leadership,

Bill Faulkner

Principal Consultant – Out Loud Strategies

Independent Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team ^TM

Email = bill@outloudinc.com

Visit our website at: www.outloudinc.com

For more information on the John Maxwell Team, please visit

http://www.johncmaxwellgroup.com/williamfaulkner/

Feel free to “LIKE” our FB Page www.facebook.com/outloudinc