Transcript Common sense leaderships

Common sense leaderships
ACMA Executive Leadership Workshop
Objectives
Understand and be
able to use the
precision
communication model
Quickly and
effectively create
more buy-in and
cooperation on work
teams
Seize and capitalize
on management
Agenda
comfort, culture and
growth
the power of choice
steps to synergy
precision
communication
moments of truth
climate and culture
comfort, Culture & Growth
building a leadership foundation
The Real Role of Leadership
“...there is a possibility
underemphasized in leadership
research - that the only thing of real
importance that leaders do is create
and manage culture..”
Edgar H. Schein
Comfort Zone
Anxiety
Fear
Concern
Real
Comfort
Zone
Growth
Unknown
Unfounded
Borrowed
The power of choice
creating buy-in and building culture
The Power of Choice
Partnering
Win / Win
Hands Head
Heart
Us vs. Them
Win / Lose
C
COERCION
C
CONFLICT
C
CO-EXISTENCE
C
COOPERATION
Willingness
C
COLLABORATION
Eagerness
The Critical Shift
C
CYNERGY
5 Key Behaviors
S
tandards
P ractice
E nvironment
T rust
S upport
Precision Communication
Communication
3 forms of communication
Precision
Communication
Fluff
Super Fluff
clarity and meaning
Take a sheet of paper
and number from 110
If each person in your
group has the same
word you get a point
There are 10 points
possible for each
group
Nouns
Verbs
Too Much
Too Many
Too Expensive
Should
Shouldn’t
Must
Can’t
Universals
Right Hand
What would happen if? How
Who
What Causes? Specifically?
Specifically?
What Prevents?
All?
Every?
Never?
Compared to
What?
Left Hand
A few quick thoughts...
Pad and Points
Closing the loop
First name sheets
MMOT
Management Moment of Truth
Seizing Opportunties
Bruce Bodaken
Robert Fritz
MMOT
Managerial Moment of Truth
A MMOT is an event in which the manager / leader
has a choice: either ignore what has occurred or
call attention to it
Telling the truth to everyone in your organization
allows you to correct mistakes, learn from past
performances, and better understand the reality of
your current situations
MMOT 2 Events
The first event is your awareness that there is a
difference between what you expected and what
was delivered,
The second event is the decision you make about
what to do with that information. This is the defining
moment, because the decision you make will
determine your impact as a manager and establish
norms for the organization.
What Could Be A MMOT?
A missed due date
An incomplete project
Unacceptable work
quality
Subversive activity
Violating team norms
What if you pass?
If you let them (MMOT) pass unacknowledged
you can send the message that it’s OK for
people to fall short of expectations.
If you address the issue, you can put people in a
position to grow and improve.
4 Critical Question
What Happened?
How did it happen?
What can we learn
that we will use next
time?
How will we know that
that’s working?
MMOT Process
Step 1: Acknowledge the truth
Step 2: Analyze how it came to be that
way
Step 3: Create an action plan for what
needs to change
Step 4: Establish a feedback system to
track the improvement
Step 1: Acknowledge that truth
•
The point of this step is to make sure that
both of you are acknowledging the same
reality. It is surprising how often people find
it hard to acknowledge reality and agree with
the obvious. They tend to focus on how they
feel, rather than what is true. The natural
tendency is to deflect or avoid the conflict.
Artificial
Harmon
y
Conflict Continuum
Ideal
Conflict
Point
Constructive
Destructive
Mean
Spirited
Personal
Attacks
Getting to the truth
What exactly is the
reality?
What evidence do we
have?
Are we seeing all the
essentials?
Is the data valid?
How do we know?
Step 1: Acknowledge the truth
State the facts and make sure the person agrees
(be careful to not use blaming words like, “you let
me down” or “you’re incompetent”).
Facts not assessments - If you make the other
person feel defensive it will become more difficult to
arrive at the shared view of reality
Step 1: Acknowledge reality
The real benefit to “step 1” is that you will gradually
begin to create a culture in which reality is a
valuable commodity.
Telling the truth then becomes a cultural norm. You
will be able to deal in currency of truth.
Step 2: Analyze how?
The spirit of this step is a real exploration of the
decision made
Were there assumptions?
Did they turn out to be true?
What was the actual planning process?
What was the antecedent (happened right before)?
STep 2: Analyze how?
In helping a person understand his or her
performance, it is helpful to understand there are
two elements to consider
Design and execution
Typically one element is missing
Step 2: Analyze how?
Step by step walk through the process that led to
the present moment.
Was the design flow responsible for the missed
date?
Was it an issue of work habits? A failure to
delegate or follow through, or some other issue of
execution?
Step 2: Analyze how?
•
Remember...
•
the job of step 2 is to
UNDERSTAND,
•
not to assign blame!
Step 3: Action plan
This is where many managers break down...they do
not translate understanding into action.
It can be simple or complex depending on the
situation and the problem.
Step 3: Action Plan
Think on paper - write down the action plan
These agreements will determine the future and
provide for other MMOT’s
These will offer a chance to celebrate or adjust the
process again.
Step 4: A feedback System
This is simply a plan on
how you are going to
monitor the situation
Again...think on paper
Have a schedule
Look for patterns
Have you seen this?
At one time or another, most managers have tried
to change the performance of their less accomplished people. The usual pattern is this...
A temporary improvement in performance, followed
by a plateau, followed by a regression to the
original unacceptable situation or behavior.
The conflict pattern
Conflict
Regression
to original
behavior
Temporary
change in
behavior
Less
Conflict
More Oscillating Patterns
Scare Tactics
Creating an atmosphere of crisis
Each new event requires greater escalation
You need to move from oscillating reactions to
learning and improvement
Be clear about your motives
What is the outcome you want to achieve?
When you move away from a problem-oriented
frame, the goal becomes obvious.
You want great performers turning in great
performances.
Problem solving creates short-term changefocusing on the desired outcome creates longterm change
Why outcome focus
It is natural to avoid
the discomfort that
addressing a
performance problem
or seeking a higher
goal may bring.
This may lead you to
‘soften’ your approach
to the problems rather
then addressing them
head-on.
Making it work
Acknowledging reality - this is a two part process.
(1) state the reality. (2) seek agreement from the
person.
Be careful to separate how things are from how
they got there (that is step 2)
Be disciplined and stay focused on the reality as it
is.
Making it work..
Reality usually needs to be stated several times
to sink in.
Hold out for a definitive yes or no.
The deadline for this report was last Tuesday,
and its now Friday. Is that correct?
The person may take this as a cue to launch into
an explanation of why...return to a yes or no
about the current reality.
Making it work
Qualifiers - almost,
not quite, soon - Late
is late
Difference of opinion /
standards
Saying yes to deflect look for contradictions
Good analysis
Once you have established an agreed upon
reality...you can analyze.
This requires a blow by blow analysis to track the
logic the person was using and the decision points
that were reached. (track the story)
Ask questions when the flow becomes unclear.
why create action plans
First, it demonstrates the degree of learning the
person has had by the way he or she rethinks
their approach.
Second, it creates a concrete plan for achieving
a successful outcome the next time.
Third, it creates a standard by which the person
can be measured.
Fourth, it creates a context for further learning.
Action plans
A great place to start is what the person would have
changed had they known what they know now.
Similar situations
What-if scenarios
Remember the focus is to turn insights into useful
actions.
Feedback Systems
Blueprints not finished
products
Test execution
against intention
Email can be a very
effective tool (from the
person to you)
Short meeting to
check on progress.
(hallway, BTW,
intervals)
Real judgement
•
Good managers judge themselves
by their results and their
employees by their intentions.
•
Poor managers judge themselves
by their intentions and their people
by their results.
The art of the question
Information questions
Clarification questions
Implication questions
Discrepancy questions
Information questions
Are designed to expand the picture you are forming
and add detail.
This is the most common kind of question you will
use.
Last week the numbers were up. “What exactly
were the numbers?”
Clarification questions
Are used to define terms and meanings...to be more
precise (Fluff buster)
We have good quality. “How do you define quality”
Asking questions is OK, pretending to know why
when you don’t is not OK.
Implication Questions
Are used when people suggest something
indirectly rather the straight out.
John finally got it right. “If John finally got it right,
does that mean getting it right is unusual for
him?
Make the sub-context into text.
First, recognize what is being implied.
Second, ask if it it’s true.
Discrepancy Questions
Many times in ‘correcting’ situations people will
contradict themselves.
The company had a great year and sales are
down.
There are two possibilities: 1) The statements is
untrue. 2) There is missing information that
explains the discrepancy.
How can the company have a great year and
have sales be down?
Emotional Growth Scale
Not Even Looking
Aware It Is Back Can
Happening See It
Right
After It
Happens
As It Is
Happenin
g
Just Before
It Happens
climate and culture
getting results
What Should Leaders Do?
Get Results!!!
Understanding Climate
“Climate refers to six key factors that
influence an organizations working
environment. It is not just what we
do, but how we do it, why we do it and
what we are really like to new staff
and outsiders.”
Understanding Climate
Flexibility
Responsibility
Standards
Rewards
Clarity
Commitment
How Climate Feels
It’s flexibility - this is how free employees feel to innovate
unencumbered by read tape;
It’s their sense of responsibility to the organization;
It’s the level of standards that people set;
It’s the sense of accuracy about performance feedback and
the aptness of rewards;
It’s the clarity people have about the mission, vision and
values;
Finally, it’s the level of commitment to a common or shared
Results Rule!
1. They tell themselves the truth and value candor and
honesty
2. They pursue the best path over the easiest path in every
situation
3. They leverage the power of partnership both internally and
externally
4. They focus their energy to make “the main thing” the main
thing
5. They show the courage of accountability
6. They learn, grow and improve everyday
I watched them tear a building down
a gang of men in a busy town.
With a mighty heave and a lusty yell
they swung a boom and a side wall fell.
I said to the foreman, “Are these men as skilled
as the men you’d hire if you had to build?”
He gave a laugh and said, “No, indeed,
just a common laborer is all I need,
and I can wreck in a day or two
what it took the builder a year to do.”
And I thought to myself as I went my way
Just which of these roles have I tried to play?
Am I a builder who works with care,
measuring life by the rule and square?
Or am I the wrecker as I walk the town,
content with the labor of tearing down?